To Save A Mockingbird
by rpgplayer658
Summary: A few months have passed since the incident with Bob Ewell, and now, Dill is visiting for summer break, but this time he is not alone. He meets a new lawyer named, Sam, who is starting work in Atticus' office. Sam suspects Dill to be a neglected child, and he wants to help him, so that he doesn't have to live a lonely life for 9 months straight, every year. (DillxScout) Dill's POV.
1. Prologue

I don't own To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee does (RIP)

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It was summer of 1936, and I was on the train heading to Maycomb, Alabama to visit my aunt Rachel, I have been doing this every summer, for about 4 years, and those summers were always the best day of my life, it was the place where I made two very important friends, Jeremy Finch, and Jean Louis Finch, but I just called them Scout and Jem.

Oh! I almost forgot, my name is Charles Baker Harris, but people call me Dill.

Now, you're probably wondering, "Why do I love visiting this place so much?" Well the main reason was that it got me far away from my folks… I don't want to talk about them, let's just say that they would be better off without me there; and the other one was that I get to see Scout and Jem.  
Jem was a really good guy that I loved hanging around with, but last year, he was kind of jerk to Scout, but he still cared about us, he just didn't show it that well.  
It ain't no secret that I like Scout, I even proposed to her when I was eight; I'm a year older than her, but she is still probably taller than me, but I didn't care about that. I was a lovesick puppy around her, but I'm too much of a wimp to admit it, so I just acted coy around her, and she seemed to go along with it; she was there for me when I needed her, but I can't say the same for me, because at the end of summer, I have to go back to Meridian, back to my folks, back to people who don't support me, back to the place I hated so much. It was hell living with them, they never once bothered asking, "Hey son, how was yer day?"  
No matter what I did, they just got me stuff to keep me busy, and they got other people to keep watch over me, and I always ended up missing those summer days in Maycomb, and before I knew it, I would find myself crying, wishing I could go back and stay there, permanently. But what people are going to want a kid like me? I don't even know if my own aunt wanted me!

I looked out the window, and I was watching the fields that the train passed by, when I suddenly hear a voice ask, "Hey, is someone sitting here?"  
I turn my head, and I see an adult wearing somewhat professional clothes, he had dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, and some freckles on his face. "Is there someone sitting here?" He asked again, very patiently.  
I shook my head no, and he took a seat. "My name is Samuel Jack Tailor, but you can call me Sam."  
He gave his hand out, and I decided to shake his hand, and introduce myself. "I'm Charles Baker Harris, but I go by Dill."  
Sam smiled, and I found that odd, while I knew some adults that smiled, his seemed trustworthy. I asked him where he was headin' and he answered, "Maycomb."  
I was shocked that an adult dressed the way he was, was going to Maycomb. "That's where I'm headin' fer the summer." I said, and he seemed to notice the, "for the summer line", but he let it go, which I was thankful for.  
"Why are you going to Maycomb?" I asked, curious.  
Sam looked me in the eye and said, "I'm an attorney, I'm going to be working at the office of Atticus Finch." I was stunned, yet again, this fellow, who I met a few minutes ago, just so happened to be going see Atticus Finch, the father of my two best friends.  
"I know him, I'm best buds with his kids, Jem and Scout." I say, giving a goofy smile.  
Sam then asked me question that I wasn't expecting. "Will they be waiting to see you, when you arrive?"  
I thought about it for a bit, and I had good feeling they were meeting me at the train station. "Yeah."  
I then wondered if Sam was going to be defending Negroes as well, so I asked him and he answered, "No… While I do admire Atticus' resolve, I don't deal with the same people he deals with. I deal with child abuse cases."  
This got my attention, "Does being neglected count as being abused?" I asked him, and he said, "Yes it does."  
That got to me, I realized that I am a neglected child, and I was glad that I ran away last year, but I didn't tell him that much about me, I think the only person that knows about my past is Scout.

We then started talking about Atticus, how I met Jem and Scout, how I proposed to Scout, which Sam just laughed at; I thought he was making fun of me, so I tell him to stop, and he tells me that he isn't laughing because of he wants to make fun of me, (Believe me, I get enough of that from Jem, when Scout isn't around.) he's laughing at how adorable the scenario was. I blushed and Sam just patted my head.  
I then decide to ask him about the Tom Robinson trial, and he gave me sad look. "I know about that one, I still can't believe they condemned an innocent man."  
I told him I was there for that trial, and that I started crying midway through, and Scout had to take me out of the courtroom, and that neither of us had any idea why Tom was being treated so badly for his color, and the way Mr. Gilmer treated him... it disgusted me!  
"I agree," Sam looked out the window, as if he were looking for something. "It's not fair for black people to go to court for a crime that they probably didn't commit." Sam couldn't hold back his anger, he was clearly pissed at how that trial ended, and it was kind of amazing really. "I mean all of the evidence was circumstantial, there was no medical records, just a goddamn criminal record that wasn't even a case of rape! People who gave him a guilty verdict, just because of his color, can burn in hell for all I care!"  
It was pretty scary seeing him get angry, and he seemed to notice this, because he immediately said, "I'm sorry, Dill. I didn't mean to scare you."  
I told him not to worry about it too much, and he just smiled. _"What an odd feller."_ Sam seemed to figure out what I was thinking, and he said, "I know I'm an odd guy, but that doesn't make me a bad person."  
I agreed with him on that one. I am an odd kid myself; I made two good friends on my first visit here, and once I met them, I never wanted to leave, but I didn't really have a choice in the matter.  
"Hey Sam, why don't you tell me more about yourself?" I asked, wanting to know more than that he is just a lawyer.  
"Sure." Sam then told me many interesting things. "I am 24 years old, I grew up in Athens, Texas, I have German blood, I am ¼ Jewish, and I just recently became a lawyer a couple years ago, so I have no trials under my belt."  
He was pretty young, and not only that, but he hasn't had a single trial yet, I didn't know whether he should be grateful or not, but what really interested me, was the fact that he had Jewish blood, and I started wondering, _"Does he know what is goin on with the Jews?"_  
I asked him, and he said, "I'm aware, and I think that Hitler is a hypocrite."  
I asked him why, and he answered, "Because he thinks that men with blue eyes and blonde hair are the perfect soldier, even though he has none of those features himself.  
I see what he meant, how does having a specific eye and hair color make someone perfect?  
Sam saw my confused face, and he said, "Believe me, it doesn't make sense to me, as much as it doesn't make sense to you." I found it hard to believe that an adult didn't understand something, but then I remembered that people didn't get why Atticus want to protect Tom, and I realized that not even adults have all the answers.

An hour went by, and me and Sam just decided to sleep for a while. We both woke up at around the same time, and we both looked out the window. I could tell that Maycomb was getting close. Sam was the first person to say anything, and he asked me, "Why don't you tell me more about yourself, Dill?"  
I looked down. I didn't want to tell him, about my personal life outside Maycomb, but I didn't want to be rude, sense I asked him the same thing, just an hour ago. "I'm 10 years old, and I know how to read!"  
Sam just smiled again, and said, "I would've guessed younger, you look like you're about 8."  
I told him that Jem said the same thing when I first met him and Scout, and he said, "I bet it's weird for Scout to be proposed to a boy that is smaller than her." I blushed, and he started laughing.  
I then thought, _"For a lawyer, he isn't as serious as Atticus, but he does have his kindness."  
_ I then looked out the window, and I saw that we were here, Sam grabbed his bag, and we both exited the train station, and the first person I saw waiting for me, was none other than Scout, Jem, Atticus, and Aunt Rachel. Scout ran up and hugged me, which made me blush a little, and she asked me how I was doing, and I knew I was right where I belong.

* * *

A/N: I recently read To Kill A Mockingbird, because we were doing something school related, but it was only for certain parts of the book and movie, testing happened, so we haven't got anywhere with it, I asked my teacher if I could take the book home, because I was invested in it by page 6, and I finished it one night.  
I have not read the sequel, and since the plot synopsis was enough for me to say, "No." I don't think I will even touch it. Anyway, the reason why I decided to write this is because, I thought Dill's problem needed focus, he is a neglected child, which is a form of child abuse, and we only see his weak side of him twice. 1) When he ran away, and told Scout his reason for being here. And 2) During Tom's trial. I then thought that this deserved focus, as we do see him more carefree and smart, then weak, but being neglected causes a lot of psychological damage to a child, and I think that this needs focus.

I want to try and get close to the narrative of "To Kill A Mockingbird", but it can be hard, so the reason why this one has a wall of text, this is because I am trying to give the same narrative, if you could give me any advice, on how to do a narrative like "To Kill A Mockingbird", I would appreciate it.

On the Digimon story, I'm going to try and do both, but if I get too invested with this one, you guys may have to wait another month or so.

I hope you guys enjoy this story, don't be afraid to review, constructive criticism is appreciated. I will see you next time.


	2. It's Good To Be Back

I do not own To Kill A Mockingbird

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"I've been doin' fine, Scout. What about you?" I asked, as she let go of me.  
"Other than what happened to Ewell, nothing much." Scout answered.  
She was still taller than me, but I was catching up. "Yer still shorter than 'er, Dill!" Jem said, from afar.  
He came up, and we said our hellos. "You still tryin' to woo my sister?" He asked, jokingly.  
"Oh, leave him alone, Jem!" Scout yelled, threatening him to punch him.  
"I'm just kiddin', Scout. You really need to work on that temper." Jem was smiling as he teased us both, I saw that he was more outgoing, than deathly serious, unlike last year.  
"Break it up you two!" Atticus said, with his serious voice. "I have to talk to my new coworker."  
Jem and Scout both looked confused, it was kind of funny, because I knew who he was talking about, and they didn't.  
"You must be Samuel Jack Tailor." Atticus says, shaking his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Samuel. These are my children, Jeremy and Jean Louis, but they prefer to go by Jem and Scout, and I see you've already met Dill."  
Atticus looked at me, and realized that we were on the same train. "Just call me Sam."  
Sam looked at Atticus, Scout, Jem, and Aunt Rachel. "Dill had told me about you all, and I hope to get along with everyone here."  
Scout and Jem both raised their eyes, and Scout asked, "Are you a racist? Cause if you are, I'm going to convince Atticus to fire you."  
Scout hated racism, just as much as Jem and I, but we still had to accept that it was part of human life… it wasn't an easy task.  
"I hate racism a lot, and I respect what your father does for them, Scout." Sam was honest to her, he wasn't talking to her like a lady, but as a person, thank god for that!  
"Then do you defend Negroes as well, Mr. Tailor?" Jem knew a bit more about the law then Scout and I did, but as a result of Tom's trial, he lost a lot of faith in the justice system, and this town in general.  
"No. I haven't even worked on a case yet." Sam wasn't embarrassed to admit this, which I found odd.  
"The most I have done is co-counsel for other lawyers, and those were child abuse cases." Sam didn't hold back with them, and Atticus didn't stop him. I guess it was because they asked him, but last year they would try to hide a lot of things from us, like the mob that wanted to kill Tom early, is just one of many examples. "Child abuse? You mean like Mayella Ewell?" Scout remember Mayella from the trial, and Atticus was able to make Bob Ewell, her father, look like the one who beat her, but it wasn't enough, people were just too damned prejudice for their own good.  
Sam just nodded, and then started talking business stuff with Atticus, I had no idea what they were talking about, Jem tried to understand it, but obviously had trouble, and Scout was just as confused as I am.  
I walk up to Aunt Rachel and she asks me, "How you been, Dill?" I answer fine, and I tell her that I want to spend time with Scout, which she agrees to. We all walk to Atticus' car, and we head towards the Meycomb neighborhood.

I went inside Scout's, Jem's, and Atticus' house, and I saw that Scout's aunt, Alexandra, still lived here.  
"Scout, why are you not wearing a dress?!" Alexandra and Scout did not get along at all, and this is mainly because Scout is a tomboy, and Alexandra wants her to be more ladylike, and while I do think that Scout looks pretty in a dress, I kind of prefer her wearing overalls.  
"My friend Dill is here!" Scout was furious, I could tell that she didn't want to have this discussion again.  
"Dill? You mean that boy from Meridian." I could tell by the tone of her voice that she didn't care for me, but I try not to let it bother me, but Scout was especially bothered. "Yeah, the boy from Meridian." Scout then decided to end the argument before her aunt could respond. "Look, your grandson has already talked bad about Dill, and I don't want to hear it from you!"  
Sam looked at Atticus and Jem, and he asked. "This happen often?" Jem and Atticus both shake their heads, and Sam went up to introduce himself to Alexandra. "I'm Samuel Jack Tailor, but you can call me Sam. I'm going to be working with Atticus from now on."  
Alexandra shook his hand, and said, "I'm sorry about my nieces' behavior, she just doesn't like to wear dresses."  
Sam just nodded as he looked Scout, he really didn't seem to care about what she wore. "I don't mind, if she doesn't want to wear dresses, then she doesn't have to, being a lady is important, but being yourself is just natural."  
And my assumption was correct, in fact, he seemed to be happy that Scout wasn't a formal person. "Me personally, I think its fine that she shows some independence, being all pimp and proper never really appealed to me."  
Alexandra looked angry, but she soon calm down, and said, "That is your opinion, Sam."  
Sam just smiled and walked away, he then sat in a chair, and talked to Atticus about politics. Scout and I really didn't care, unless it had to do with racism.  
Jem came up to us, and said, "You two should just go play outside. I'll stay here and learn more about Mr. Tailor." We both just shook our heads, and we went outside the backyard, and we began playing together.

Me and Scout did whatever we thought was fun. I occasionally joked about getting Boo out of his house, but she said, "Dill… I don't think we should try to that anymore."  
I saw that she didn't want to bother him anymore than we already did a few years back. So I said, "I'm only kiddin, Scout. If you don't want to try seeing him again, then I won't speak of it anymore."  
Scout look at me reassuringly. "Thank you Dill, for understandin'."  
I put my hand over my face, and said, "No problem."  
Scout asked what I wanted to do, and I started thinking about it, and I decided, "Want to act out Dracula?" She just rolled her eyes, and said, "Alright."  
So we started acting out Dracula, it was a bit different without Jem, but we managed.  
Once we were done, Scout wanted to go up the treehouse and just talk, I was okay with this as we haven't talked in a while.  
We talked about how school was going, what was up with Atticus, Jem, etc. But then she started looking sad about something, I asked her what was wrong, and she looked at me straight in the eyes and asked, "Dill, are your folks treatin' you better than last year?"  
I didn't want to answer, as it just reminded me of my hatred for them.  
"I'm askin', because you ran away last year, and I was wonderin' if they were startin' to treat you better." Scout was really worried about me, and I knew I couldn't lie to her like before, so I told her, "No, they're not treatin' me any better than last year."  
She looked like she was about to cry, Scout was one the toughest people I knew; I had only seen her cry when Jem got mad, but other than that, she doesn't seem to let a lot of things bother her to the point of crying, just to the point where she wants to break their necks.  
"I'm sorry, Dill… I wish you didn't you have to go back, maybe we should tell Sam." I looked at her with confusion. "Don't give me that look, he said himself that he worked with child abuse, maybe he could help you. Atticus is busy enough as it is, but maybe Sam could help you."  
I looked down, I never really thought about getting help from an adult, and truth be told, I really didn't want to go back to Meridian, I really wanted to stay here with Scout and Jem, but I was still too afraid to tell anyone, other than Scout.  
"Dill, I think that if you tell Sam about your problems, he will help you. I know I only met him a few hours ago, but he seems like a nice guy." I looked at her trying my best not to sound weak. "I don't want talk about it with with anyone, Scout."  
Scout then just punched me, first day back and I already pissed her off, but this was a bit different from all of her other punches, this wasn't out of anger, but out of worry.  
"Stop trying to sound tough, you will tell someone about your problems, otherwise I will tell them myself!" She wasn't kidding, if I didn't tell anyone, she would.  
So I gave in, and said, "Alright Scout, but I want you to be there when I do tell them." She agreed to this, and hugged me. This caught me off guard, as she is usually not this caring.  
"You're out of character today, ain't ya Scout?" I tried being a smartass, but she just said, "Shut up, Dill. Can't I be out of character for one day?" I didn't answer, I guess I was one to talk, I was a completely different person in Meridian.  
I decided to hug her back, and I decided to show my weak side for once. "I missed you a lot, Scout…" I let a few tears fell from my face.  
"You poor thing, you must've been so lonely." I just let my tears fall, and she just kept comforting me, I could tell that she has also been through a lot as well, so I guess those tears were for her, more than for me.  
Eventually, we let go of each other, and I wanted to tell her how I felt; I mean, technically I told her when I was eight, but I don't know if she thought I was serious, she probably thought it was just me being a flirt, but in truth, she was the only girl I really liked back then, and those feelings just got stronger over the years, and now I'm too nervous to be coy around her, she saw that I was blushing, and I heard her laugh.  
"You are lot less coy now, Dill. Yer more of a nervous wreck now, it is kind of bizarre!" She just kept laughing, and I laughed with her, because it was truth. "That's just the way it happens, Scout."  
We then heard Jem's voice ask. "What are you two doin' up there?!" We looked out the window, and I answered, "Chattin!"  
Jem just shook his head, and said, "Well, you're Aunt Rachel is letting you spend the night here, if you want! She figured that you needed to spend more time with us!" I was thankful that Aunt Rachel thought about me, but I just said, "Alright, I'll do just that!"

We got down from the treehouse, and Jem whispered to me, "You and Scout weren't kissin' up there were you?" I turned redder than a beat, and answered, "No!"  
Jem laughed and said that he was just teasin' me, I glared at him, and he said, "You don't like me when I'm a hardass, and you don't like me when I'm jokin' around."  
I told him that wasn't the case, and that I just don't like being teased. He just laughed, and Scout looked confused about what was going on, but Jem just told her not to worry about it, which just made her angry, and I thought, _"Some things never change."_

* * *

I'm going to enjoy this one, if you want an estimated length, I will try to make it the same length as To Kill A Mockingbird.

Don't be afraid to review, any information about how the law worked back then would be great, as you would be surprised on how hard it is to find specific differences, and any help with the dialect would also be great, see you next time.


	3. What Is Goin' On Today!

I do not own To Kill A Mockingbird

* * *

Jem teased me about me liking Scout, and it was getting kind of annoying, so I told him, "Yeah, I like Scout, so what?!"  
I then put my hands over my mouth, and was now turning redder than the rising sun. Jem just laughed, and I was grateful that Scout wasn't here at the moment, she was taking a bath currently, and me and Jem just decided to catch up on old times, and then he started talking about how Scout and I are like star-crossed lovers.  
"Dill, my friend, you got yourself a good chance that she likes you back." Jem seemed confident that Scout and I will end up getting together. "I mean, you already promised her that you will marry her, so you're both practically engaged now."  
I asked him how he knew this, and he answered, "Scout may have mentioned it a few times, you guys didn't do a real good job keepin' it secret."  
I thought about it, and then I realized that I did boast about it a little, when I was younger.  
"Now since yer my friend, I'm going to go a little easy on you, but if you break her heart, consider yerself dead!" Jem gave me a serious look, and it actually kind of scared me, if I did anything to hurt Scout, it wouldn't just be Scout after my blood, but Jem as well.  
"I understand Jem, but truth be told, I was only coy with her, because I just wanted to impress her." Jem looked at me like he already knew. "I wouldn't say you succeeded in impressing her, but I think you succeeded in making her miss you every time you leave, she was really disappointed when you sent her that letter last year about you not being able to come over last year."  
I started feeling bad, and then I just said, "Then I ran away from home, and stayed for the rest of last summer."  
I didn't think Jem knew my reasons for running away, but then he said, "Because yer folk didn't want ya, right?"  
I was shocked that he knew, so I asked how he did know, and he answered, "My cousin Francis, real spoiled brat, told Scout how yer folks just leave with you other families, and I overheard you tellin' Scout how yer folks would get on better without you."  
I had no idea that someone knew about my secret so I asked, "How did this Francis know about me bein' passed around from family to family?"  
Jem seemed to think about this one, and he answered. "I honestly have no idea, you should ask my aunt, she is closer to Francis then either of us."  
I didn't really want to talk to her, but I didn't really have a choice, I had to know why this kid knew about that, when in my town, hardly anyone notices me, I could steal from them, and they would never know I were there, but I didn't actually do that, my folks weren't that cruel, they at least kept me fed.  
"Don't worry Dill, I'll be right next to you." Jem put his hand on my shoulder, and I smiled and told him thanks, and we headed to the living room, where Alexandra was.

"Auntie..." Alexandra looked at Jem, and then at me. but with with a little distaste, Jem took notice of this, and stepped in.  
"Don't look at him like that, Auntie. He just wants to ask you something." Alexandra took note of what Jem said, and gave me the go ahead.  
"How does yer grandson, Francis, know that I get passed from family to family, and that my father is long gone, how did he know anythin' about me?"  
Alexandra looked at me with sympathy, which confused me at first, but then she answered, "I honestly don't know, considering that you live in Meridian, Mississippi, and he lives in Mobile, Alabama, and the only time I see him, is during Christmas break, when my son, Henry, would drop him off."  
I was disappointed, I really was curious on how someone who lived near the coast of Alabama, would know about me, someone who lived near the eastern border of Mississippi. "Dill... my grandson will be coming over this Christmas, I will ask him then, and I will write you a letter on how he knows about you."  
She actually gave me the time of day to talk to me. "You know, I always thought you hated me, Alexandra."  
I was being honest here, I got the impression that she didn't care for me at all. "I don't hate you, Dill. I only just wish you weren't always cynical."  
Sam then came out of nowhere and asked, "What's wrong with being cynical?"  
Alexandra was surprised to see him there, and she said, "Sam, being a cynic just makes it's hard to work with others." Sam seemed to give her that one, but he argued back by saying, "It also makes it easier to tell the truth. I know, because I can be a cynic sometimes."  
Sam then looked at me, and told me that Atticus and Aunt Rachel are in the kitchen, and that they want to talk to me.

I walked into the kitchen, and I saw Atticus and my aunt talking, they see me walk in, and Atticus tells me to sit down. I do so, and I asked what was up, and if I was in trouble.  
"No, we were just wondering why you ran away last year, and why you didn't want to go back." Aunt Rachel looked at me with comforting eyes; my aunt can be hard to deal with because of how paranoid she can be, but she really cared about me, but I would be lying if I said that she was the reason I try to come back to Maycomb every summer. "Now, I was talking to my sister last year, during Christmas, and when I asked about you, she was struggling to remember your name, and I got worried about if you were being raised right." My aunt hardly ever mentions my Mom, but she seemed to be really concerned about me, but I didn't say anything.  
"Dill, please, tell me…" My aunt was begging me to tell her, everyone was just out of character today.  
"Rachel, calm down, if you panic, then he might not want to answer." Atticus then looked at me, and asked in his cross examination manner, "Dill, have you been wearing the same clothes in the winter?"  
I didn't answer, I trusted Atticus, but I didn't want my aunt to hear this, then I notice that Scout walked in. "Atticus, just hold on a second, he may not be ready to tell you yet, so can't you just wait a-"  
I interrupted her before she could finish her sentence, in actuality, I wanted to tell Atticus right now, but I didn't want Sam or my aunt to hear this.  
"I want to tell Atticus, but I don't want to tell Aunt Rachel." I looked at my aunt, and she got up and said, "I understand... I already know anyway, I just wanted you to tell Atticus." I figured she knew, but the fact that she cared enough to act like she didn't know, kind of made me happy.  
"Sam, if you need a place to stay, there is room available at my house." Sam was in the room as well, but I didn't even see him walk in; he is really quiet when it comes to walking into a room.  
"Thank you Rachel, I will take you up on that offer." Sam then grabbed his stuff, and they both began to walk out the door. "See you tomorrow, Dill."  
Sam just smiled as he left the house, and headed towards my Aunt's house; she lived next door to Atticus' house.

Atticus waited they were out the door, until he asked the question again, during this Jem and Alexandra walked in.  
"Yes, I have been wearing overalls since winter. I don't have anything like a coat or a sweater." I answered as honestly as I could, I was cutting all shenanigans for today. "Now, do your parents not buy anything for you?" Atticus looked at me, and he wanted me to confess to him.  
"I-I ran away last year, because my folks didn't want me around!" I decided to just get straight to the point, and I was expecting some anger, but Atticus just looked at me with sympathy.  
"You poor child." Atticus put his hand on my shoulder. "It must be hard, having a mother that doesn't give you the time of day." I tell him that it's basically the same as not having a mother at all, and he replied, "Now, my wife died a few months after Scout was born, and it was hard for Jem and me, but Scout never even knew her, and just talking about her isn't enough to do her justice, she didn't want to leave us behind, but she didn't have a choice in the matter."  
I didn't get why Atticus was telling me this, but I then realized that he is trying to say that, not all mothers leave their children behind, and this made me think about my Mom, and how she never once showed a sign that she cared about me, in fact, she made it clear as day, that she wished she never gave birth to me.  
I start crying from this realization, and Atticus comforted me, saying, "There, there…"  
I tried calming down, so I could ask him another question. "Did you ever blame Scout, for your wife's death?"  
Atticus looked at me straight in the eyes, and answered, "I never did such a thing... I was distraught over her death, but I didn't let it overtake me... because if I did... then there wouldn't be anybody to take care of them, and I couldn't let my grief blind my judgement... that is why I always did my damndest to look after them like any father would, but I wasn't alone, Calpurnia and Maudie helped me raise them, and they soon became my light in the darkness. While I do still miss my wife, I honor her memory every day, by looking after my children, because they are precious to me."  
Scout and Jem looked like they both wanted to hug Atticus, but he was kind of busy with me crying my eyes out, so they just said, "Thank you, Atticus."  
Atticus sent them off, so he could talk to me. "Dill, tell me about your stepfather, how does he treat you?"  
I felt a surge of hate every time I thought about him. "He is just as bad, he just doesn't ignore me, he threatens me, and calls me stupid, useless, and that I'm just a waste of space on this planet! I hate him, why don't they just let me stay in Maycomb?! They don't want me anyway!"  
Atticus looked at me with sympathy, and he said, "Dill, you're not stupid, useless, or a waste of space on this planet, and don't let anyone say otherwise."  
I started crying, I already respected Atticus, but he just made me want to stay here in Maycomb even more.  
"Is there any way that I can be part of this family?" I asked, now calming down.  
"Keep your promise with Scout, and we'll see." I began laughing, as he was referring to my promise that I made with Scout when I was 8, before I left I promised that I would marry her when we got older.  
"I wonder if she realized that I meant it." I say, now feeling better for getting that out of my system.  
"You'll just have ask her." Atticus was smiling at me, I didn't think he would take learning that well, but then I remembered that I'm talking to Atticus.  
"Easier said than done." I retorted, and my stomach began rumbling. "I see that you're hungry... Calpurnia should be coming by soon, with her homemade cooking." Then we heard someone knocking on the door; Atticus invited them in, and it was Calpurnia, she was a Negro that helped Atticus take care of Scout and Jem, she is a nice person, and I think that she is a good mother figure for Scout and Jem.  
"Good evening, Calpurnia, I see that you brought dinner." Calpurnia smiled, and said, "There should be plenty for all of you, I got to get back home, Atticus."  
Atticus offered her to stay for dinner, but she declined saying, "Thank you, Atticus, but I don't want your sister gettin' a dither, and besides, I've already eaten."  
Atticus just responded with, "I see… Well, I hope you have a good night, Calpurnia."  
Calpurnia walks out the door, and says, "See you tomorrow Atticus, and Dill, you better behave yourself around Scout."  
I blushed and said, "I don't have a death wish, Calpurnia!" She just laughs, and starts walking to her home.

We ate dinner, and we all took turns taking a bath. Scout had one earlier, so they let me go next. I turned the water on, and I waited till it was warm, I got in, and I realized that I didn't remember the last time I took a bath.  
 _"God, am I really that unclean?"_ I thought to myself, I used the soap and shampoo to clean myself, I washed myself off, and I dried myself up, and I put on some clothes, and a bathrobe that felt really comfortable.  
When I got out, the first person to see me was Scout, she took a good look at me, and said, "You know, when you clean yourself up, you are actually kinda cute."  
The word, "cute" got my attention, and I asked, "What am I when I'm dirty?" She just laughs at my question, I didn't think it was funny, I was being serious.  
"You're still cute either way, but it's a lot more noticeable when yer clean." I blushed at that, I couldn't tell if she was being coy, or if she was telling the truth, it was hard to tell sometimes.  
"Where am I sleepin' tonight?" I wanted to know, before I made a fool of myself.  
"We talked about it, and for some reason Jem joked about you sleepin' with me, and Atticus went along with it, which was even weirder, Alexandra seemed creeped out at first, but even she started saying that it would help me become a lady, it was a damn conspiracy down there!"  
I was embarrassed to ask, but I really needed to know, "Am I sleepin' with you?" Scout looked at me suspiciously, and she had a real scary look in her eye.  
I learned the hard way that she is one person you don't want to anger. "You stay on yer side, and I stay on my side."  
It really was a conspiracy, it was like they were trying to make me tell her that I like her, this wasn't normal, so I went down to ask them, where I was sleeping, as I didn't feel comfortable sleepin' with Scout without permission.  
"Atticus, are you lettin' me sleep with Scout or not?" Atticus looked at me, and said, "It was a joke, if you don't have to sleep with Scout, if you don't want to."  
I thought about what to say next, and I came up with, "It's not that I don't want to, it's just I don't want to make either of us uncomfortable."  
Scout seemed to agree with this, but then Jem came in and said, "You've seen my room, Dill, do you really want to sleep in there?"  
I then remembered that Jem's room was very messy from all of his studying, there was a bunch of textbooks on the ground, and I knew that he has been doing some late night studying, so I said, "Alright, you win Jem, but you have to join us as well." I said, smirking.  
Jem looked shocked to hear that, and Atticus seemed to agree with this condition.  
"I mean, let's be honest here, I doubt you would seriously have a boy who is a year older than her sleep on the same bed, right?" I asked, in a playful tone. "Wouldn't Atticus feel more comfortable if her brother was there as well?"  
I looked at Atticus, and he nodded in response.  
"Jem, would you mind sleeping in Scout's room along with Dill, so you could keep an eye on him?" Atticus asked. "Alexandra needs to clear your room anyway."  
Jem seemed to be thinking about a way around it, but couldn't think of anything. He instead, thought of a different solution: "Why don't we just all sleep in the living room?"  
Atticus considered this, and responded: "Alright, that is fine."  
I smiled at Jem, and he just whispered, "You clever bastard…"  
"I know…"

I put my pajamas on, and Jem was the one we decided would sleep on the couch, while Scout and me would sleep on the carpet; it was surprisingly comfortable.  
Scout then looked at me and said, "You know, up close you're actually real handsome." I tell her thanks, but then I noticed that she was only a few inches away, and I felt like I was about to pass out.  
"Scout, I'm pretty tired, can we just rest?"  
She nods her head, we both yawn, and then we fell asleep.

* * *

Dill has grown up a bit, or maybe he just needs to adjust, I don't know.

Advice and Constructive Criticism are appreciated.


	4. Maycomb Tour & Swimming Lessons

I do not own To Kill A Mockingbird

* * *

I woke up from my slumber, and I was face to face with Scout, this was deathly embarrassing for me, so I tried to get up, without waking her up, but she opens her eyes, and she was also embarrassed.  
We both got up and we both apologized, but Jem looked down on us from the couch and said, "G'mornin Romeo and Juliet."  
We were both embarrassed and furious, "Jem, don't make me throw something at you." Scout didn't exactly want to deal with this in the morning, and to be fair, I didn't either.  
"Just get dressed, we're showin' Mr. Tailor around the town today."  
We did so, and we went to the kitchen to get breakfast, and I saw Sam looking at us both, and he said, "G'mornin sunshine."  
Sam was wearing a polo shirt and jeans, he seemed to prefer the more casual clothes, and then he says, "I'm ready to go when you are, just eat breakfast first."  
We all ate our breakfast, and we decided to show Sam around town, this way Atticus didn't have to miss work.

We showed Sam around the area, from the school, to the courthouse, to the hospital, to the prison, and more. As we walked around town, we saw Miss Maudie tending to her garden, and she decided to introduce herself. "How do you do, stranger? I'm Maude Atkinson, but you can call me Maudie."  
Sam shook her hand, and introduced himself. "I'm Samuel Tailor, but you can call me Sam if you want."  
Sam noticed Miss Maudie's garden, and decided to comment on it. "That's a fine garden, Maudie."  
Maudie looked happy to hear that, and she says, "Thank you, Sam, I bake cakes and tend my garden in my spare time, for no reason other than that I enjoy it."  
Sam smiled at this statement. "That's nice... I'm a lawyer, like Atticus, only I don't deal with racism, I deal with child abuse, or at least that's the plan."  
Miss Maudie took notice of what Sam said, and she looked at him in a suspecting manner.  
"I'm not racist, don't worry about that." Sam noticed her expression, and wanted to reassure her in some way. "It's not that, it's just that I've never heard of a lawyer that wanted to help children."  
Sam looked relieved that it wasn't anything else. "I personally believe that abusing a child is just as bad as racism, I hate both of them with a passion. Any people that treat a child or a Negro badly, can burn in hell for all I care."  
Miss Maudie understood his sentiment exactly, as she was one of the few people in this town, who wasn't racist or prejudice, and she often would try to give advice to Scout and Jem, whenever she could.  
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Maudie. I may come back to try your cake's later, so be prepared for that." Sam immediately changed his tone, faster than I could keep up, it was pretty bizarre; Miss Maudie had a hard time comprehending what just happened, but she recovered quickly enough to say, "I'll be prepared when you come by to try my cake." Sam smiled and waved, and we started walking.

Scout looked at Sam, and said, "Yer an odd feller." Sam just shrugged his shoulders, while Jem apologized for her comment.  
"It's not a big deal, Jem, it's the truth after all." Sam said, smiling at Jem.  
Jem knew that it didn't bother Sam at all, so he said, "Mr. Tailor, you're an interestin' feller."  
Sam looked at Jem, and just simply said, "Call me Sam, you make me feel like an old man when you call me, "Mr Tailor". I'm only 24 years old, by the way."  
We then continued walking around the town, and he we had Sam meet everyone in town, but then we see a kid walking by, and he says, "Just what we needed, another nigger-lover!"  
This didn't go by unnoticed, and Sam immediately stopped him. "Hey! Don't just go calling people that, it makes you look like an asshole!"  
He just shrugs, and says, "My parent's treat them like that, so why can't I?"  
Scout looked she was about to pummel this guy, but I told her that it's not worth it, just let Sam handle it. "You've got to be carefully taught, kid. Haven't your parents ever told you to do as I say, not as I do?"  
He thought about it for a second, and answered. "No… I have a name by the way, its Cecil Jacobs."  
Sam just sighed in annoyance, and said, "Then learn about it, Cecil. Let's go, guys." Sam just walked away, and was annoyed of what Cecil said.  
"What's wrong, Sam? Are you mad at Cecil?" Jem asked, concerned.  
Sam looked at Jem, and answered, "I'm not mad at Cecil, I'm mad at his parents, if there were more people like Atticus, then this world would be easier to live in, I don't blame Arthur for not coming out of his house, unless it's for specific reasons."  
Scout looked at Sam, and asked, "You know what happened last October?" Sam admitted that he asked about the locals with Atticus, and that he only knows a little about what happened on that night, and that he doesn't want to know the full truth if it meant having Boo get more attention.  
Scout took a deep breath, and said, "He is just a shy man, he is actually very nice, and it kind of makes me wish that we didn't make up stories about him."  
Jem and I agreed with this, and Sam told her that was honorable of her, and he then said, "You aren't born the way you are, you make yourself the way you are now." We understood what Sam meant when he said that, it wasn't very hard to piece together.

Eventually, we end up near Boo's house, and we saw his brother, Nathan, with his gun at the ready, we were about to leave, when Sam went through the fence with his hands up.  
Nathan came up to him and asked, "What's yer business?"  
Sam looked at him calmly, while also showing no signs of fear. "I just want to talk, I mean no harm whatsoever."  
Nathan put his gun down, and says, "If it's anythin' bout my little brother, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave."  
Sam showed no fear, and responds. "I understand, I just want you to know that I am not an enemy, and I will not come up here often, but I may just wave occasionally, so if you see me, don't shoot my head off."  
Sam still kept the same expression, despite how dangerous Nathan was. "Gotcha, just don't go invadin' our property, and we won't have a problem, Samuel."  
News travels fast in a small town."I understand, Nathan." They both shook on it, and said their goodbyes.  
Jem was a nervous wreck, and said, "Sam, you have guts."  
Sam responded, with the same serious expression, "President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."  
We just looked at each other, and our tour soon came to an end.

Jem said that he and Sam were too old to play with us, but then Sam said, "I'm not too old, and you're not either."  
Sam then grabbed Jem, and said, "Come on, kids! We're going to the lake."  
I told him that I didn't know how to swim, and he said, "Then I'll teach you, its summer, and I don't start working till tomorrow, and one day not studying won't kill you, Jem."  
Jem was embarrassed by the fact that Sam dragged him here. "I know, but I need to be a good example fer Scout's sake."  
Sam and I laughed, and I rebutted, "I don't think Atticus needs your help that much." Jem opened his mouth to say something, but I think he realized that I was right, so he just walked to the lake, and it was now just me and Sam.  
"Alright Dill, I'm going to teach you how to swim, just get in the water." I did so, with just my shorts, and Sam soon followed.  
"First thing you should learn, is how to stay afloat." I asked him to demonstrate, and he moved to deeper waters, and he said, "Just keep moving your arms and legs."  
I then asked, "What if you get tired?" Sam then started floating on his back, and he said, "Just let yourself drift on your back, like this."  
Sam grabbed me, and I began struggling, and he said, "Don't worry, we're not in deep water, just move your arms counterclockwise simultaneously, and just keeping your kicking your legs."  
I did so, and I began floating, he told me to not panic, as that is how you drown, but after a while, I got a little tired, and he told me to lay down on the water, and just look up, and try to keep your gut out of the water. I listened, and I felt myself drifting, it felt nice, Sam was decent teacher; he kept me strictly in shallow water, so I wouldn't drown.  
I told him that I was ready to learn how to propel myself forward, he then grabbed my hands, and told me to get my feet off the ground, and to start kicking. I did so, and he kept holding on, he then told me to stop. I did, and then Sam told me that when I'm swimming, you want to move your arms in a rhythm.  
"Dill, what you need to do is move your arms like this…" I tried copying his movements and I asked if this was right. "Yeah, but don't keep your face down, when you move your right arm, look left, and when you move your left arm, look right, also be sure to keep your legs moving, as it allows you to project yourself forward."  
I started listening to Sam's advice step by step, and eventually, I felt myself moving forward, I hadn't realized it yet, but when I did, I almost panicked, but I quickly regained my composure, and I headed back to where Sam was.  
"Nice one, Dill!" Sam gave me a high-five, and I was felt happy about learning something I never knew how to do, till now.  
"Thanks for teachin' me how to swim, Sam. Last time it was Jem that tried, and I nearly drowned." I laughed at how foolish I was back then, and Sam just said, "You learn from your mistakes, and you learn from others as well."  
I laughed at that statement, and then he told me to go show Scout, and I agreed.

I swam towards where Scout was, and I shout, "Take a look at me now, Scout!" Scout looked incredibly happy, and she responded, "Way to go, Dill!"  
I then got near the docks, and she saw me breathing heavily. "That was great, Dill." I tell her to stop, and that she's making me blush.  
"Did Sam teach you how to swim?" I got out of the water, and I sat down right down next to her, so I could dry off. "Yeah, he kept me in shallow water, but he showed me how to swim, by showing the basics." I answer her question, and Jem came up and shouted, "Alright Dill, don't be too coy!"  
I felt myself turning red, and I shout, "Shut up, Jem!"  
Scout told me not to worry about him too much, and then she asked, "Are you going to tell, Sam?"  
I decided to be a bit perkier this time. "Yeah, but not today, maybe in July, or before I leave in August."  
Scout didn't seem to like those answers, and she says, "I want you to tell him now, the sooner you tell him, the sooner he'll be able to help you."  
I thought about it some more, and then Jem came up and said, "Dill… Sam will not only need evidence to support you, but he'll need a year before he can actually take it to court." Jem telling me this information made it easier for me make up my mind. "Alright, that is a fair point. I will tell him today, but I want Scout to be with me when I tell Sam."

As if on cue, Sam came up and I began to tell him everything, I couldn't read him at first, but then he said, "Dill, I will help you in any way I can, even if I have to kill them." I knew he was serious and capable, by just looking at him, but I tell him, "Sam, I hate them, but I would feel better seeing them in prison for the rest of their lives, or if I just never saw them again."  
Sam then explained to me the current laws that involve adopting a child, and I didn't understand it all that well, but I was able to understand that it would take a while, and that one of the ways was that if they died or if they were proven unable to take care of me, and that my testimony wouldn't be enough, we would need a witness to support us.  
Sam was in deep thought for a while, and then asked, "Is it possible for you to come over here for Christmas?"  
I thought about it, and I realized that I could easily convince them to let me go to Maycomb for Christmas. "Yeah, but why?"  
Sam begun explaining his idea, "If you were to fall sick, and they don't come all the way here, then that would be a clear sign, but not convicting."  
Jem chimed in seeming to get what he meant. "So, if Dill pretended to be sick for a few days after Christmas Break, and if they don't rush here, than that would be enough to start an investigation."  
Scout and I agreed to this, but Sam told me that I would have to put up with them at for about a year and a half, but he promised me that by next year, he'll come back to Meridian with me.  
I thanked him for going so far me, and he said, "No problem, Dill, I swear by my life that I will do everything in my power to get you away from them."  
Sam was passionate about helping me, I could tell that he wants to help me, more than just get a raise for his paycheck, and I was glad that people like him existed.

* * *

I hope you're enjoying this, any advice about this era's laws would benefit greatly, and Constructive Criticism is appreciated.

See you next time.


	5. Dancing Lessons

I don't own TKAM

* * *

The summer was going by quickly… too quickly. I really did not want to leave Maycomb, without at least telling Scout how I felt, but I didn't know how to do it; at least, not the right way.  
My aunt opened the door to my room, and asked, "You feelin' alright, Dill?" I tell her that I'm fine, and that I'm just thinking about something.  
"Is it about Scout?" Aunt Rachel asked, with confidence. I answer, yes, and she sat down right next to me. "Why don't you ask Sam for advice?"  
I never did think of asking Sam, but it didn't sound like too bad of an idea. "I may just do that, Aunt Rachel, thanks fer the idea." I say, smiling, while she just rolls her eyes, and says, "Just ask the man fer advice, already."  
I leave my room, and head straight to Sam's room, I knock on his door, and he lets me in.

"What's up, Dill?" Sam looked at me with pleasant eyes, and I tell him, "I want to tell Scout how I feel... for real this time."  
Sam sighed, and said, "Timing is everything, and right now, I would wait at least one more week, but if you want advice on what to say, just tell her what you feel inside your heart, I know it's cliche, but it is better than saying nothing at all."  
I took his advice, but then I decided to go on a different topic, and that was, "How are you gonna gather evidence that my folks are neglecting me?"  
Sam then looked at me, and gave me some blank papers. "When you start writing letters, describe what your folks do to you, just keep in mind, that I can't predict if it will get worse or not, but for your sake, I hope it doesn't."  
Sam was silent now... I could tell that he didn't want to leave me with my folks, but he had no choice at this moment in time, much to everyone's dismay, really.  
I look around his room, and I notice an award for piano playing, I asked him about it, and he said, "I play the piano in my spare time."  
I ask what songs has he played, "Some Beethoven and Chopin pieces, but I will play a Mozart piece every now and then."  
I knew Beethoven, but the others I didn't really know that well, so I asked him what songs are they most well-known for, and he answers, "Chopin had a distinct style, so it's easy to spot if it's his, but he is well known for "Raindrop Prelude", "Revolutionary Etude", "Minute Waltz", and "Fantasie Impromptu", while Mozart composed "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", he also wrote plenty of opera's, the one I'm most familiar with is "The Magic Flute."  
I was impressed that he knew this much, I really didn't listen to these kind of songs, but now I wanted to hear him play, but my aunt came in with an invitation to something or other.  
"Dill, Sam... it looks like Judge Taylor wants to hold a dance a formal dance at the school, and they need a piano player."  
Rachel gave Sam the letter, and he gave a good read. "Alright, I'll do it, but Dill has to come along." I protested against that immediately, but my aunt said that I need to know what being at formal dance is like, and I tell them that I don't know how to dance.  
"Well, you're going to have to learn, because Scout is going as well." Sam said, reading the list of people who were invited, and we were on the list.  
I decided to give up on arguing my way out of this, and I told them I'll do it.  
"Good, let's head over to Atticus' house, I get the feeling he's going to need some help." Sam looked at me, and I knew that I was going with him, which wasn't too bad, knowing Scout she is probably going crazy over wearing a dress.

Sam knocks on the door, and Atticus invites us in, and says, "I see you're going to the party, Dill." I groan in displeasure, as I really did not want to go to a formal dance.  
I went inside and I saw Scout moping as well. "You're also getting dragged into this?" I asked, in an unentertained voice.  
"Yup… I don't even know how to dance, and they want to give me a lesson on a slow dance?!" Scout was not happy about this, and I didn't blame her, she was being dragged to something she wanted nothing to do with, and now this was happening.  
Jem came by looking at us, and he said, "Come on, it won't be that bad." Scout and I just groan again, and Jem said, "It's just dancing, and besides it only going to be slow dances." I looked at him, and I say, "Says the one who took dance lessons." Jem just shrugged his shoulders, and we then see Atticus and Alexandra come in.  
"Alright." Atticus began to tell us what we need to do. "Now, we're going to show you how to do a slow dance, so please, pay attention." Scout and I just rolled our eyes; Alexandra noticed this and asked, "How do you know you don't like dancing if you have never done it before?"  
She caught us there, as Scout looked at me and said, "It won't kill to watch." I just sighed, and prepared myself.  
"Now, in a slow dance, the leader, that is the male, will place his right hand on his partners waist, like so." Atticus placed his right hand on Alexandra's waist, and then she explained what the girl does, "Scout, pay attention, as the lady doesn't place her arm around the man's waste, they instead, place their left arm on the man's right shoulder, like so."  
Alexandra and Atticus were now in a slow dance position, and Sam told us, "When you're in a slow dance position, make sure your feet aren't facing toe-to-toe, as you both need room to move your feet, so stand a little offset, and have right foot inside your partner's pair, like what they are showing."  
We looked at their feet, and saw that their feet were at least 1 foot apart. Sam began explaining how to move, and Atticus and Alexandra started moving a little. "This is actually pretty simple, just keep your movements slow and smooth, but mix it up every now and again, by moving or rotating, and lift the foot your weight is not on and slide it forward, back, or sideways, and as you dance, you can master the "step touch" by simply stepping to the right with your right foot, then follow the foot with your left, touch the ground, and then step to the left with your left foot, and then follow your left foot with your right, touching the floor again before you move it back, but make sure you both are in sync, or there will be problems… just watch them do it."  
Sam placed a record that played "Love in Bloom" by Bing Crosby, on a phonograph, and started the device. Atticus and Alexandra were showing us the steps to take, how the male should lead, how the lady should follow, to step with the beat of the song that played, once they were done, they thanked each other, and it was our turn, now.

I was pretty nervous now, at first I wasn't thrilled, but now I kind of wanted to dance with her. I don't what made me change my mind, but that didn't really matter. Because, the next thing I knew, we were in a slow dance position, and Sam started the phonograph, and we started dancing. I counted to myself, and Scout followed along as best as she could, we didn't really have a lot of room to work with, but we manage to at least make it look decent.

Once the song ended, I said, "Thank you" to Scout, and we took a seat. Jem was applauding quietly, and said, "Bravo, that wasn't bad for your first dance, you even managed to do a "step touch."  
We were both blushing, when Atticus said, "I think you both are more than ready." I comment on how a slow dance is one of the easier dancing styles to learn, but Scout said, "Be thankful it isn't a waltz." I agreed with her, as those tended to be pretty hard to learn for people who can't really dance all that well.  
I noticed Sam writing down something, and I asked him what was he writing, and he answered, "They're allowing me to choose three songs for me to play; two for show and one for dance. I was just writing down the name of the songs." I asked him, if we could take a look, and he said, "Sure."  
I took a look at the list, and the song he picked for the dance was "Barcarolle in F Sharp Op. 60", and the songs he picked for show were "Fantasie Impromptu" and "Revolutionary Etude." Atticus saw the list and said, "Those are really difficult pieces, Sam."  
Sam looked at Atticus, and responded, "Its Frederic Francois Chopin, what do you expect? His pieces aren't exactly supposed to be easy." Atticus agreed with him, which got me wondering, _"How hard could they be?"  
_ Alexandra then came up to both of us, and said, "We need a tuxedo for you, Dill. And Scout needs a formal dress, don't worry, it won't be the kind I wear." Scout didn't hide her relief, as she shouted, "Thank God!" Atticus told her to behave herself, and she began to calm down.  
Sam came up to me, and said, "The boys and I are going to go get Dill a tux."  
Alexandra nodded, as Sam, Atticus, and Jem led me to Atticus' car, and we drove off to the local tailor.

When we got to the tailor, Sam told me to tell the person at front desk my name and size. I did so, and someone came to get me a tux, after they found the right size, I went into a fitting room, and tried it on, it didn't feel that bad, it was just a simple black tux, with a white undershirt, a maroon vest, a red tie, and black dress pants. I exited the fitting room, and everyone said, that it looked good on me. I went back into the fitting room, changed back to my other clothes, and gave the tux to Sam so he could pay for it.  
Admittedly, I wasn't into this dance thing at first, but now I couldn't wait for it, and the reason was that I could dance with Scout.  
Sam saw my expression, and he said, "Looks like someone can't wait to dance with a certain girl."  
I blushed, and Jem looked at me and said, "I'm layin' it easy on you this time, Dill, but if you do anythin' that upsets her…" Atticus looked at Jem, and said, "Jem… Dill is your best friend, I don't think he would want to upset Scout." Sam then followed with, "Yeah… You do a fine enough job on your own."  
I laughed at this, because it was true, if it wasn't a jerk that got Scout mad, then Jem is most likely the next candidate to get her mad.  
Jem was silent now, he had nothing to say to that, and that just made this even funnier. However, I started yawning, and that made it clear that they needed to get me home, and on the way back, I fell asleep, but when I woke up the next morning, I was in my bed.


	6. The Dance

I do not own TKAM

 **Note: If you see a song title, look it up on youtube, and listen to the entire song, then keep reading. Thank you.**

* * *

It was around 5:00 in the morning when I woke up, and hardly anyone was up; even my aunt was asleep.  
I was pretty hungry, so I made my way to the kitchen, only to find that Sam was awake as well. "Sam? Why are you up so early? I asked.  
"I should be the one asking that question." Sam said, looking concerned.  
I told him that I just woke up, and I can't go back to sleep, and he says, "I know the feeling."  
I sat down at the table, and he decided to cook me breakfast, in which I tell him "Thanks."  
Sam smiled at me, and said that he was going to take me to the courthouse, and have me tell Judge Taylor about how my folks been neglecting me. I was happy that he was going through so much trouble for me, it made me feel like I belong somewhere.  
"Thank you fer goin' through all this trouble fer me, Sam, it really means a lot." I said, smiling.  
"It's not a problem, Dill. I just want to see you with people that will love and support you, not with people that won't give a damn about you…" Sam said, giving me my food.  
"Dill… did you ever have to steal money from your parents to feed yourself?" Sam asked, looking at me with sympathy.  
"No… they at least had the decency to feed me, and give me whatever I wanted, but they only did it to keep me distracted."  
Sam looked at me with sorrow and asked, "What do you know about your real Dad?"  
I look down, and answer, "Nothing, I don't know where he lives or even if he'll come back."  
Sam looked at me apologetically, and I tell him, "Don't worry about it."  
Sam then told me to take a bath, get dressed, and that we're going down to the courthouse. I did everything he said, and it was around 6:15 now, and we were just about to leave when someone knocked on the door. We looked to see who it was, and it was none other than Judge Taylor.  
"Good morning to the both of you" he said.  
"What are you doing here, John?" Sam asked.  
"I'm here to accept your request." Judge Taylor answered.  
Sam and I were confused at first, but we then figured that Atticus told him about me.  
"Alright John, here you go." Sam gave him the letter he wrote.  
"I hope you know what you're doing, for his sake…" Judge Taylor said, firmly.  
Sam looked at me, then at the judge, and he responded, "So do I…"  
We then headed back inside, and Sam told me that he was going to rest, and to go have fun outside, and I ended up spending the rest of the day outside with Scout and Jem.

Days have gone by, and it was now the day of the formal dance. I took a bath, brushed my teeth, and I put my tuxedo on.  
Sam, then told me, "You look nice, Dill, but your hair is messy."  
I look in the mirror, and I realized that it really was messy. I laughed and said, "It sure is!"  
Sam then grabbed the hairbrush, and said, "I'll fix it for you."  
Sam fixed my hair; it wasn't too messy, but it was still necessary. He flattened it out a little bit, but then made it to wear it wasn't completely flat.  
I looked at Sam, and he seemed melancholic for some reason.  
I ask him, "What's wrong" and he answers, "It's nothing… just had a trip down memory lane."  
Sam was done brushing my hair now, and he led me outside, where Scout was waiting.  
Scout was wearing a blue dress, and it actually looked really good on her, it was a silk manufactured dress, apparently; it wasn't frilly like what women wore during the 19th century, and it wasn't generic, it was just a simple shade of blue, and she looked real pretty in that dress.  
"Dill… You alive, Dill?" Scout says, looking at me.  
"S-Sorry..."  
"Good, you're not a zombie." Scout joked.  
"You look real pretty in that dress, Scout." I tell her, as I blush.  
Scout looked at me, and responded, "You look great in your tux, Dill."  
We were both smiling, when Sam just rolled his eyes and said, "Alright lovebirds, let's get to the school."  
We both blushed when he said that, but we quickly regained our composure, and we headed to Scout's School.  
When we got to the school, it was packed with people; we just tried finding Atticus and Jem, as Sam told us that they went on ahead, and he told us that he had to go through the back.  
"Scout!" Jem called out.  
We headed to his table, and we found Atticus with him.  
"So Dill, are you going to ask my daughter to dance?" Atticus asked.  
"Not now, we just got here, and I want to wait until it clears up. Don't want to bump into anyone."  
I then wonder if Atticus thinks I'm a good choice for Scout, so I get up, and whisper to him, "Be honest with me, do you think I'm a good choice for Scout?"  
Atticus looks at me, and whispers, "If you weren't a good choice, you wouldn't be asking me this question."  
I smiled, gave him my thanks, and sat down right next to Scout. "What you two talk about?" She asked.  
"Nothing much." I say, teasingly. She then playfully punched me, and I laughed it off like it didn't hurt (It did, by the way).  
The dance was going by rather quickly; Scout and I haven't danced yet, we only talked a little.  
Sam played the piano, and sang the vocals for songs that were originally performed by Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, and Eddy Duchin. While they are great songs to dance to, we wanted to wait until Sam played the song he picked for the dance.  
Eventually, he was on his own, and he grabbed the microphone, and said, "This the finale for this dance, but before I play the three songs that I personally picked, I would like to thank John Taylor and the School for throwing such a fun dance party, and for inviting me here… Now, I will play you three more songs before we close… I hope you enjoy."  
Sam bowed and started playing the piano, this piece was Fantasie Impromptu.

Once he finished, he bowed and saw something that set him off.  
He grabbed the mike, and shouted, "Stop disturbing the peace down there!"  
We looked, and we saw a white man threatening a Negro, this made us both mad, and we were about to help him, but Sam jumped off the stage, and shouted, "If you can't learn to treat people right, then I'll kick you out myself, Mr. Underwood!"  
It was the news reporter who publishes and owns The Maycomb Tribune.  
"Why is a nigger here?!" Mr. Underwood asked.  
Sam looked at the list, and he tells him, "This is Reverend Sykes, the the reverend of the First Purchase M.E. African Church, and he is on the list of people who were invited, if you can't deal with that, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Sam had a stern voice; it was actually comparable to Atticus', so much so, that Mr. Underwood didn't even try to argue back.  
Sam then went back on stage and started playing the Revolutionary Etude.

Once he finished, he grabbed the mike and said, "Anyone who wants to dance, this is your last chance."  
I decided to take my chance, and I tried to ask Scout with confidence, "Would you like to dance?"  
She responds, "I would love to."  
I take her hand, and I lead her to the dance floor, and we got into position. I could feel the eyes of many people staring at us, and I could also feel Jem struggling not to yell out, "About damn time!" or "Get yer hands off her!" one of the two.  
I was getting nervous, and Scout had noticed this and she says, "Don't worry about them, Dill... Just look at me."  
I was up to her eyes in terms of height, it wasn't a big difference, but it was there.  
We both took a deep breath, and Sam started playing Barcarolle in F Sharp.  
When we started dancing, we initially followed the bass note, and we stuck to those for a while, but after a minute we switch to dancing with the treble note, so we could mix it up, and then before we knew it, we were dancing in beat to the song, and not only was I having fun, but I was dancing with the girl I loved, and she also looked like she was having a good time. It continued like this for good bit, and when the song ended, we were both exhausted from dancing.  
So I ask, "Did you have fun, Scout?"  
She looked at me, and answered, "I did Dill… You looked very happy when you were dancing, I was starting to wonder where your smile went."  
It's true, this summer, I haven't been as cheerful as I usually was.  
Atticus and Jem were waiting for us, and when we got near to Jem, he asked, "So, has the knot been tied?"  
We were both too tired to deal with this, so we told him to stop, and he did.  
Once we got to our homes, I told Scout, "Good night."  
But she stops me, and says, "Thanks for dancing with me, Dill."  
She gives me a peck on the cheek, which causes me to blush. I then start wondering if she also likes me that way... I didn't know for sure, so I decided to tell her before I leave for Meridian.


	7. Summers End

It was my last day in Maycomb, and I asked Aunt Rachel if I could spend the day with Scout.  
"Yes." She answered.  
I ran outside, and straight to the Finch's backyard, and that is where I saw her.  
"Hey Scout!" I shout.  
"Mornin', Dill!" She responds.  
I run up to her, and ask, "What would you like to do today?"  
Scout looks down at the ground, melancholically; she seemed to be pondering over something.  
"What's wrong?" I asked.  
"You're leaving tomorrow, Dill…" She answered, frowning.  
I didn't want to leave with her like this, so I smiled, and said, "I'll be back fer Christmas, so don't you worry yer pretty little head, I'll be back before you know it."  
She looked at me, and said, "I'm more worried about you, if time fer me goes slowly, I can't imagine how slow it goes fer you… with nobody bein' there fer you'n all."  
"I appreciate you thinking about me, but I came here to spend my last day with you, and I don't want to spend it moping, come on!" I yell, running towards the tree house.  
"Want to do you want to do, Dill?" Scout asked.  
I took a moment to think about it, and I came up with an idea, "Want to walk around town? I want to see the town in full, before I leave it tomorrow."  
"You've seen it so many times, Dill." She complained.  
"Come on, Scout…" I whined.  
"Oh, Alright!" Scout said, smiling.  
"Cool, it's a date." I said, very coy.  
"It's good to have you back, Dill." She says, nonchalantly.  
I was enthusiastic and coy, because I wanted to have fun before I left, no angst included.

We walked around all of Maycomb County, for about 3 hours; it was a small town, but it never ceased to feel like home to me.  
Scout and I began to talk about the past, as we walked around town.  
"I remember when you confessed yer love to me, and then you started ignorin' me. I also member' kickin' yer ass for doing so." Scout told, smiling.  
I was blushing. I did tell her that I loved her two summers ago, but then I started ignoring her, and hanged out with Jem more, only because she didn't want to play a stupid game with us.  
I looked at her, and I thought to myself, _"Man, I'm stupid."  
_ "Scout… sorry fer ignoring you after I said… you know." I said, truthfully.  
"It's alright. I'm sorry fer beatin' you up… twice." Scout said.  
"I deserved it, but yer forgiven." I winked at her, which caused her to blush.  
"So you can blush!" I say, pretending to be shocked.  
"Oh, shut up, Dill!" She yells.  
"Scout and Dill, what are you two doing here?" Atticus saw us, and he came up to us very sternly, he probably wanted to make sure we weren't up to no good.  
"We're just walkin' around town, Atticus." Scout answered, truthfully.  
"I see…" Atticus looked at his pocketwatch that he carried around, and said, "I need you two to get home. I have to go see Helen Robinson, make sure she's doing alright. Mr. Deas did give her a job, but I still worry about her."  
"Can we go with you?" I asked.  
Atticus looked hesitant at first, but I really wanted to meet Helen; I wanted her to know that, there are people who still remember the trial of her late husband, Tom Robinson.  
"I don't see why not, Atticus…" Sam said, backin' me up.  
"I can see it in his eyes, he wants to let her know that there are still people who remember that trial, not just Link, Mayella, or your family."  
Atticus gave in, and said, "Alright, but don't say anything that will upset them."  
"Yes sir!"

We went back to the Finch's and we got in Atticus' car, and we headed towards Helen's house. When we got to Helen's, there were to Negro kids, looking at us, we all got out of the car, and I say "Hello" to the kids, and they seemed to back up in fear.  
"Sorry, we didn't to frighten you." Scout says, kindly.  
"Scout, Dill… they are pretty shy, it be best if you waited for Helen." Sam said, with a sympathetic expression.  
Helen came out and greeted Atticus, and he had a look on his face that looked very pitiful.  
"Are you doing alright, Helen?" Atticus asked, with genuine concern.  
"It's hard getting along without Tom, but Mr Deas is a kind man, he helps me out when I'm in bind." Helen answered.  
"Have you met Scout?" Atticus asked.  
"I have seen your kids in your car, but I have never properly introduced myself." Helen answered.  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Helen. My name is Jean Louise Finch, but I go by Scout." Scout introduce herself, and giving her hand out to Helen.  
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Scout." Helen said, shaking her hand.  
I then walk up to her, and I introduce myself, "My name is Charles Baker Harris, but I go by Dill."  
"It's good to meet you, Dill." Helen smiled at me. I wanted to ask about Tom, but I refrained because it would've been insensitive.  
Atticus and Sam talked to Helen for a few minutes, but then a woman came down walking down the street, it was Mayella Ewell.  
"What are you doing here, Mayella?" Atticus asked.  
"Haven't you done enough damage!?" Scout asked, furious to see her.  
"Relax, I came here to apologize." Mayella answered.  
"You can't just come up here, and say you're sorry, that's not how the world works." Sam said, firmly.  
"You think I don't know that?! Look, it's my own fault that I fell in love with Tom, and it's my fault he's dead, if I haven't asked fer help back then, he would still be alive, and yer kid's wouldn't have been nearly killed by my shithead of a father!"  
She wasn't lying, she was truly hurt over what she did, and now she felt that she needed to apologize, but it went both ways.  
"Mayella, if you haven't done what you did, then Scout, Jem, and Dill wouldn't have come to terms with racism, and your father would still be hurting you." Atticus said, with a firm yet understanding voice.  
"An eye for an eye. You're father convicted an innocent man, and he was killed by his own hand, on accident." Sam said, looking at Mayella.  
"I'm not stupid." Mayella said, looking at Sam.  
"Arthur killed my father… Don't worry, I didn't tell anybody, but I did send Arthur a letter expressing my thanks, and I asked for nothing in return."  
We were surprised by this, and even more so, when Helen responded, "You did this to Tom, yet you still feel the need to apologize… I can't forgive you, but I do thank you for telling me this, Mayella."  
"Mayella smiled pitifully, and said. "If you did forgive me, then something would've been wrong."  
She started leaving, and I ask her, "Where are you going?"  
And she responds, "To the graveyard."  
Sam looks at Atticus, and says. "We should follow her, we may see something interesting."  
Atticus disagreed at first, but then thought of the many scenarios, and ultimately agreed.

We followed Mayella to the graveyard, and we see her next to a grave. We get out of the car, and got close enough to where we could hear her.  
"You did this, Father… I hope you know that."  
"You didn't just hurt me, did you?"  
"You hurt all of my siblings… I saw their bruises, and they just thought it was normal, you must've really hated me, if they weren't your center of attention."  
Mayella was getting bitter as she spoke.  
"Why…? Why did you hurt them as well? You only needed to hurt me, and you made me lie in court, and because of you, I got an innocent man killed…"  
"Why...?"  
"WHY DAMNIT!?"  
Mayella started crying, but then stopped.  
"It doesn't matter, nothing can justify it, anyway."  
"I feel nothing but contempt for you! Nothing but contempt!" She spits on the grave, and then kicked it down.  
Sam then went up to her, and called, "Mayella…"  
Mayella turned around, and asked, "You saw that, didn't you?"  
Sam nodded.  
"I thought so… I can't believe they gave him a grave… want to help me destroy it?" She asked.  
Sam went up to the grave and said, "Sure, nobody needs to know who is buried here."  
"I was only kidding." Mayella stated. "If anything, I just want to run away, but then who would be there for my siblings?"  
Sam looked at her, and said, "You can't change the past, but you can prepare for the future, just do what you think is right from here. School starts tomorrow, maybe you should get one of them to stay for more than one day."  
"That would be a start…" Mayella stated. If you don't mind, I would like to walk home with all of you, it's not far from here."  
"That's fine, I think you've more than served your penance." Sam said, as he walked towards us.  
We said nothing, our faces said exactly what we thought, so we walked Mayella home, and we then head back into town.

Scout fell asleep on the way back, so Atticus had to carry her in. Jem was studying all day, so that's why he didn't come out today.  
I was with Sam now, and we began walking back to my aunt's, when we saw a strange man sitting on a chair at Boo Radley's house. He gestured us to come over here, and we did so.  
"You must be Arthur Radley." Sam said, gently.  
I was surprised at first, but then I took a good look at him, and there was no question, it was Boo Radley.  
"I never thought I would actually meet you, Boo." I said, quite shaken up.  
Boo tells us that he knew what we were trying to do, and that it made him happy to see such carefree innocence, he also told us that he was the one that left the gifts at that tree with the knothole; he was furious at Mr. Nathan for blocking it up.  
"Arthur, why did you come outside?" I asked.  
Boo looked at me, smiled, and said, "Because I realized that I never gave anything to you, the one who gave them the idea to try and get me to come out of this house to begin with."  
He then reached for his pocket, and he gave me two hand carved figures, one of a mockingbird, and one that resembled me a little.  
I tell him "Thanks" and he smiled at me.  
"We better get going, we don't want Nathan shooting us." Sam said, smiling at Boo.  
"Boo… will I ever see you again, I want to pay you back in some way." I say, with good intentions.  
"Don't worry, you don't have to give me anything, just seeing you kids having a good time is enough for me." Boo said, smiling at us, and then going inside.  
We walked down the road to Aunt Rachel's house, and I began thinking about what life was like from his perspective, and I realize that he just wanted to be friends, and to this day I still wished that I realized that sooner.

I was at the train station, waiting for my train to arrive. School had finished, and now everyone was here to say their goodbyes.  
"Be safe, Dill." Aunt Rachel said, giving me a hug.  
"You too." I say, hugging her back.  
"I hope you're able to visit for Christmas." Atticus said, shaking my hand.  
"See you around, Dill." Jem said, as he ruffled my hair.  
"Don't be a hardass, while I'm gone." I joked.  
"I would like to give you my pendant, my mother gave it to me, before she died, I want you to have it." Sam said, taking a pendant out of his pocket.  
I took the pendant, and I open it up, and it said, "Don't worry, everything will be okay." I began to tear up as I hugged Sam, and I tell him, "Thank you…"  
Sam just gently caressed my head, and he says to me, "I'll go back with you next summer, I promise…"  
I let go, and everyone decided to leave the station, except Scout, she ran up and hugged me, and says, "I'll miss you, Dill."  
"I'll miss you too." I said, trying not to cry.  
My train was about to arrive, so I decided to tell her now, before it got here.  
"Scout, I want to tell you something before I go!"  
"What is it?"  
"Scout… I love you, and I mean it!" I was blushing, and so was she.  
"I'm glad… that you still feel the same way… I love you too, Dill." Scout says blushing.  
My mind was running all over place, but I had no time to think, I had to board my train.  
"Dill, wait a second!"  
I stopped, and before I had a chance to ask, she gave me a quick kiss on the lips.  
"Consider that payment for you kissing me two summers ago." She said, smiling.  
"I will…" I say, smiling.  
The train was about to leave, so I quickly get on it, and I say, "I'll see you at Christmas!"  
"You better, or yer a dead man!" She shouted, as she waved.  
I wave back, and I soon was unable to see her. I was now going back to Meridian.  
Back... to being alone.


	8. My Life In Meridian

I was now back in Meridian, and I was already missing everyone back in Maycomb. When I opened the door to my house, no one was even home.  
" _They're out again…"_ I thought.  
When my family was out, I had no idea how long it would be until they came back; sometimes it was one day, and other times it's a damn week, they really could care less about me, we may live in the same house, but I'm just a stranger to them. I hated it here, it always brought my mood down, so with nothing to do, I lie down on my bed, and I read a book.

School was about as interesting as cardboard box with nothing in it. I would go there, and I would get nothing from it, our education system was complete bonkers, yet I just sat and bear with it. Every day, I would go to school, come home, eat dinner if available, take a bath, then go to sleep, this is how all my days in Meridian went, and it was dull, boring, and lonely.  
Occasionally, I will write a letter to either Scout or Sam, recently I sent a letter to Sam, saying that my lousy folks aren't here, and he wrote back, " _Dill, I'm sorry for what you're going through, just hang in there. That is all I can say, I wish there was more I could do._

 _With full regards,  
Samuel."  
_I could tell that he was hurt about writing this, and I knew that he was more worried about me, than himself.  
I also wrote a letter to Scout saying that I miss her, and I put my birthday on the letter, so she would remember it, and she wrote back, _"Dill, I miss you a lot too, I wish I could just drop school, get on a train, and come see you, then you wouldn't be alone. Oh, thanks for telling me your birthday, I always intended to ask, but I kept forgetting. So October 11th, I got it. Since you told me yours, I'll tell you mine, my birthday is April 28th.  
I love you,  
_ _Scout."  
_ "I miss you…" I say to myself.  
I cried myself to sleep that day, all I could hear was my own sobbing, and the ticking of the clock.

My folks came back around mid-September, and they said nothing to me, it was like I didn't even exist. I was right in front of them, and the bastards didn't even acknowledge me, they just walked by me, like I was some phantom!  
 _"Good to see you too, assholes!"_ I thought.  
I stormed up in my room, and I slammed the door shut, and I hear, "What are you doing, Chuck?!"  
"Nothing!" I yell.  
They didn't say another word to me, I decided to write a letter to Sam.  
 _"Sam...  
My folks are back, and they just ignored me, I was right in front of them, and they just pretended that I wasn't there, you know what, **** them!  
I bet they wouldn't even care, if I were to die the next day, not that I will, of course, but this is getting ridiculous, all I want is to be back in Maycomb, back with you, if you can write something to cheer me up, that would be appreciated.  
Write back soon.  
Dill."  
_I sent the letter the next day, and I would see his reply around a week later.  
" _Dill,  
This isn't much, but I gave you $10 in this letter, that should be enough for you to feed yourself, when you are by yourself, but only use it for emergencies only.  
I'm sorry I can't be there for you, Dill... believe me, I wish I could, but I have to help Atticus, Jem, Scout, Calpurnia, and Maudie keep this town in order.  
There is still a lot of racism around here, and every time I see kids call a Negro, a nigger, it just… hurts me, but what really hurts me, is not being there for you.  
I'm sorry for not going with you.  
_ _Samuel."_

September went by as quickly as a snail, and October wasn't any better. My folks were out of town again, and they didn't bother with sending me to a relative this time, looks like they just given up on me. It was actually October 11th, my birthday, I turned 11 today, but I had no one to celebrate it with. I was alone, at least that is what I thought, but I ended getting a mountain of letters, the first one I read was from Atticus.  
" _Dill,  
_ _Scout told me that this day was your birthday, and I thought it would be nice if you got something from me, it isn't much, but this is my gift to you.  
_ _I hope this cheers you up,  
_ _With regards,  
_ _Atticus Finch."  
_ I opened his gift, and it was a book called, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe. I have heard that this book was an anti-slavery novel, which interested me. I smiled, and I put it on my desk.  
The next one I read was from Alexandra.  
" _Dear Dill,  
_ _It's weird that I'm writing to you, but I wanted to tell you that I lied to you about not knowing how Francis heard of you.  
The truth is, I told him about you, I thought you were just another piece of trash at first, because you had no father, but then you asked me how did my grandson know about you, and I saw the pain in your eyes, they were so pitiful...  
I was a real bitch for judging you on your family, I'm sorry…  
Today is your birthday, right? I don't know if you'll forgive, but I hope you accept my gift at least.  
_ _Alexandra Hancock"  
_ I was angry at first, but then I realized that she lied to me, because she didn't want me to feel worthless. I put the letter down, and I opened her gift, it was an emblem of a dove, which can symbolize forgiveness, just like how the mockingbird can symbolize innocence.  
I look at the mockingbird figurine that Boo gave me, and I place the emblem right next to it.  
The next was from Aunt Rachel.  
" _Dear Dill,  
_ _Happy Birthday! I know this isn't much, but I thought you could use something to entertain yourself, and this was the only thing I could come up with.  
_ _With love…  
_ _Aunt Rachel."  
_ She never really given me anything, so I was both scared and curious on what she gave me, and it was picture of man that I have never seen before, I flipped the back, and it said, "Rick Baker Harris" I then realized that this was my father, the only thing I had that was him, normally I would've thrown this away, but this was a picture of my father, a person that I didn't even know was alive or not. I began wondering if he left us, or if he died. I had no way of knowing, but one thing was certain, all I had of him was this picture, and for that reason alone, I kept it.  
The next letter I read was from Jem.  
" _What's up, Dill?  
_ _Things have been pretty slow around here, sorry I haven't written to you, I've been busy at school.  
I hope you're doing alright at Meridian.  
I know it's not much, but here is something I thought you would like, it is just my way of saying, thanks for being a good friend and happy birthday.  
_ _Hope you get taller,  
_ _Jem"  
_ I laugh at Jem's letter, I'm glad that he was doing alright, and that he still considered me a friend. I looked at his gift, and I opened it up to find a football, that had Jem's signature, it made me chuckle, if his goal was to make me feel better, then he succeeded. I put the football on my desk, and I opened the next letter, this was from Sam.  
" _Dill…  
_ _Happy Birthday, we all decided to send you gifts so we could cheer you up, it was all Scout's idea actually, she really misses you by the way, she would never admit it, but it's easy to see.  
11 years old, huh? I remember what my Dad gave me when I was your age, and well I'm giving it to you now, don't try to send it back, I'll just send it back to you, it's not even the same one my Dad gave me, but I thought you would like it more for other reasons, that's really all I have to say.  
_ _See you around,  
_ _Samuel."  
_ I wasted no time opening Sam's gift, and it was an Opal gemstone, one of the October birthstones, it had mixture of pretty colors, and it was a marvel to look at, I put it in my drawer, so my folks wouldn't find it.  
The last letter I read was from Scout.  
" _Hey Dill,  
_ _Happy Birthday! Yeah… it was my idea to send you gifts, I thought you were feeling lonely, and I wanted you to know that, we're still here for you. I have missed you a lot, but I still have Jem and the others to keep me company… Sorry! That was insensitive… I really screwed up there, I didn't mean to make you feel bad, well I hoped you saved my gift for last, mine was homemade, it's kind of embarrassing to admit it, but it's kind of something that I think you'll really love. Anyway, can't wait to see at Christmas.  
_ _Fondly,_ _Scout."  
_ I felt like crying, not because of what she wrote, but because of what she did for me, I looked at her gift, and I opened it up, it was a makeshift necklace, and she chose to make a mockingbird emblem. I smiled and I put it on my desk, I got out one letter, and I began writing my letters to all of them.

November had arrived, and I was freezing as hell, my folks were gone again, no surprise there, except that Thanksgiving is around the corner!  
All I wanted was a real thanksgiving meal, but instead, I'm alone with no one to keep me company, it's enough to drive someone mad, but I stayed strong, because I wanted to see them again, it was the only thing that kept me going, even if it sometimes hard to tread on.  
I realized that I was crying like a baby, trying to stay warm, but then I hear a knock on the door, I got up looked out the window, and nobody was there except for a package.  
I quickly opened the door, grabbed the package, and quickly closed the door.  
I set the package on the table, and it had a note that said, _"It's going to get cold, best if you have something to keep you warm."_ It didn't have a name on it, but I could tell what was in the package, so I opened it up, and it was a jacket, a sweater, and jeans, it was winter clothing. I look out the window, to see if whoever brought that is still around, but no one was there, it was very surreal to me, and so I wondered if there was someone in Meridian that cared about me, or was it something else?


	9. My Best Friends

Autumn went by, and along came winter, and that meant that Christmas was near. I told my folks that I was going to be visiting Aunt Rachel for Christmas, and they didn't hear me, they were too busy talking to each other to notice me.  
I then overheard my Mom say, "Want to go down to New York for Christmas?"  
And my Step Dad responded, "Sure, I'll get tickets for the two of us."  
They left about three hours later, and I barely had enough money to even travel to Maycomb.  
I then hear a knock on the door, I opened it, and I saw a strange man, he was tall, had a brown trench coat on, and a black fedora; I couldn't see his face, he had it covered.  
"If you want shelter, I'm afraid I can't let you in." I said, firmly.  
"My boy, do you need money?" He asked.  
"I reckon I have enough." I answered.  
"I'm not taking no for an answer." He said, firmly.  
He gave me around $30, which was more than I needed, and I was shocked at how much he had. I was about to protest, but then he said, "Use it to give yer friends gifts."  
He began coughing up a storm, and then he walked away from the front porch.  
"Who are you?!" I asked, as he walked off.  
He coughed, cleared his throat, and answered, "Just a stranger, wanting to give a random act of kindness. You don't have to pay me anything, think of it as me, paying you forward, instead of paying me back."  
"Paying it forward?" I questioned.  
"It's when you do something nice fer someone, but not wanting or expecting something back in return." He answered, and walked off.  
I started asking myself questions like, "Who is he, why is he doing this for me, why did he cover his face, and how did he know about my friends?" I decided not to let it bother me, as he was already long gone, but I did decided to do what he suggested, and get gifts for my friends back at Maycomb.

I went all around Meridian, and I bought gifts for everyone; for Aunt Rachel, I got her a flask for drinking, I thought she would like to have something that wouldn't break if you accidentally dropped it while you were drinking whiskey; for Atticus, I got him the book, "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo, I thought that he would enjoy the story, from what the librarian told me; for Jem, I got him a football, since he gave me his for my birthday, I thought it would be nice to give a new one; for Alexandra, I got her an emblem of a dove, since she apologized in her letter, I thought it would be nice to tell her, "No hard feelings" by giving this to her; for Sam, I got him another pendant, to replace the one he gave me; and for Scout, I got her a butterfly necklace, I knew it was bit feminine for her, but I wanted to give her something as she gave me a necklace for my birthday.  
I had about $40 left; this was counting my money, and the money the man gave me, and I decided to bring all of them by hand; I used my pillow case as a bag, and I carefully put all of their gifts in the bag, and I head for the train station.  
I was at the train station, and I was scheduled to leave at the 2:00; it was 1:55, so I decided to make a quick call, I put in 5 cents, and I waited for Maycomb's telephone operator, Eula May, to pick up.  
"What can I do for you?" Ms. May asked.  
"I would like you to connect me with the Finch's" I answered.  
"Alright, please hold." Ms. May said, and I waited for another person to pick up.  
"Hello?" Atticus was the one who answered the phone.  
"This is Dill, I just wanted to call and tell you that I'm about to leave Meridian." I said.  
"Is that so… We'll be there to pick you up, when you leave the station." Atticus said, with a kind voice.  
"Thanks, Atticus." I then hear the train pulling up.  
"I gotta go, my train just arrived!" I hanged up, and I grabbed my bag of gifts, and I got on board the train.

When I arrived at Maycomb, I noticed that it was snowing, and I couldn't help but stare at it; it was my first time seeing it, and it was real pretty. But I was immediately throw back into reality, when I heard, "Dill!"  
It was Scout, she had a coat and sweater on, and her hair had grown past her neck, but it was still short.  
"Hey Scout, I see you changed your hair." I said, smiling.  
"Do you like it?" Scout asked.  
"I do, in fact, I prefer it like that…" She looked at me, and smiled.  
"Don't change it, keep it the way it is."  
"Alright, Dill." She said, still smiling.  
"I'm here too!" Jem shouted, jokingly.  
"Hey Jem, when did you get here?" I asked, jokingly.  
"Very funny, Dill." Jem said, smiling.  
"Am I going crazy or have you grown a quarter of an inch?" Jem asked.  
"I don't know…" I answered.  
"Let's just get out of this station, I bought gifts for all of you, consider it my thanks for those birthday gifts." I say, walking outside the station.  
Outside the station, I saw Atticus, Rachel, and Sam waiting for me.  
"Good afternoon, Dill." Atticus said, smiling.  
"It's good to see you, you little rascal." My aunt said.  
"Merry Christmas, Dill." Sam said, smiling.  
"It's not Christmas Day yet, Sam." I say, as I shake his hand.  
We all had a good laugh, it was the happiest I've been in such a long time, and they were all aware of that.

When we arrived at Atticus' house, they all told me to go inside. I did so, and what I saw had me in shock. It was a party for me, they were throwing a party for me.  
I felt like crying tears of joy, but I held back, and asked, "This is for me?"  
"Yes... We thought that since you probably never had a proper birthday, we would throw you one, when you came back." Atticus answered.  
"Whose idea was this?" I asked, smiling.  
"That would be me." Jem answered.  
"Really?"  
Jem blushed and admitted, "Yeah… I figured you would enjoy a party with your friends, instead of them sending gifts. I came up with this idea, because you're my best friend."  
"Thank you, Jem." I hugged him, and I caught him off guard, but he hugged me back, like he was family.  
"It ain't a problem, you're family after all." Jem smiled, and he seemed to be more wise than before, but also more sociable.  
I let go, and Jem ruffled my hair, which made me smile like a dope.  
Atticus then came up to me, and said, "Jem, really went out of his way to make sure that this party was perfect, and I think he did a good job."  
"What do you think, Dill?"  
"I love it!" I shout.  
Calpurnia sliced the cake, and she gave us all a piece; Miss Maudie baked it as soon as she heard what it was for, and Jem told her to wait till December. I could tell by how well it tasted, how much effort she put into it. She really did bake the best damn cakes in Maycomb.  
I looked around, and I notice that Alexandria wasn't here. "Where's Alexandra?" I asked.  
"She decided that Scout should let her be her own person, and she went back to Finch's Landing." Calpurnia answered.  
I looked at Sam; only he could send her back to Finch's Landing, with that decision  
"What did you tell her?" I asked.  
Sam looked at me, and answered, "I just told her that, by the time you make Scout into a proper lady, you'll be dead, she'll be old, and dresses wouldn't be worn on every day. When I told her that she just decided to go back to Finch's Landing, and have Scout grow with the current generation."  
"About time too… I was really getting tired wearing those frilly dresses." Scout complained, and I just laughed at her, and she just glared at me.  
"So, you guys have an extra room, then?" I asked.  
"Yeah…" Atticus answered.  
"So, then I can stay here for Christmas?"  
Atticus looked at my aunt, and she just nodded. "Of course… And if you want, you can stay here for the summer as well."  
"Do I!" I shout, and I hugged Atticus.  
"Good, I don't have to deal with you anymore." Aunt Rachel said, sarcastically.  
"You can be sarcastic, Aunt Rachel?" I joked.  
She just rolled her eyes, and Sam followed, and he said, "We're going to Finch's Landing this next Friday, you can give those gifts then."  
"Alright... Can you give this Aunt Rachel?" I got her gift out of the bag.  
Sam took it, and said, "I'll be sure to give this to her."  
"G'night, Sam."

I put my stuff in the guest room, and I went back to the living room, and we just have out conservation.  
But then Atticus asked, "Do your parents know you're here?"  
"I told them, that I was coming here, but they didn't hear me, and they just left for New York." I answer, with a bitter tone.  
"Are you tellin' me that, your parents didn't even say a word of you?" Jem asked, concerned.  
"Nadda word."  
"Atticus, this is getting ridiculous! Why can't Dill just stay with us, won't his testimony be enough?!" Scout asked, furious.  
"Sam told you that, he needs more than just his testimony, he needs a signed paper that confirms his claims, or they have to pay a fine." Atticus answered.  
"Which is why, I'm staying here for an extra week in January, which gives me three weeks, so let's make this count!" I say, excited.  
"Dill, I just now noticed that you still have that same white hair…" Scout stated.  
"Oh… Yeah… I get it from my father." I said, placing my hand on my head.  
"How do you know?" Jem asked.  
"I have a picture of him." I answered, and I get my picture of my real Dad. "It's hard to tell, but his hair is a brighter white than the rest of the picture, y'see?"  
"You're right…" Scout said, surprised.  
"He really does look like you." Jem said.  
"Do you know his name, Dill?" Atticus asked.  
"Rick Baker Harris." I answered.  
"I wonder, what happened to him." Scout said, looking sympathetic.  
"I don't know, but seeing this picture, makes me believe he had good reason, maybe he was deathly ill, and he was afraid that it was contagious. I don't know, but I like to think that was the reason." I said, really hoping that he was as kind as he looked.  
Jem looked at me sympathetically, and said, "I'm sure he had a good reason, not like your current folks…"  
Jem patted my head gently, he had gotten a lot nicer since last summer, but it didn't feel jarring, it felt natural, like he was growing up.  
"Jem… thank you for bein' my friend, and you too, Scout." I smiled, melancholically.  
"Believe it or not, I was actually shy, before I met you guys, in fact, you two are my first real friends."  
"What do you mean?" Scout asked.  
"Think back to when we first met…"

" _Hey"  
_ " _Hey yourself."  
_ " _I'm Charles Baker Harris, I can read."_

"Yeah… you said that you knew how to read, because you wanted to impress us." Jem said.  
"Yeah, but don't you think it's weird that we met like that, wouldn't that normally come up after you become friends with someone?" I asked.  
"Yeah…" Jem answered, reluctantly.  
"I was actually very nervous, and I thought that you wouldn't be my friend if didn't say something to impress y'all, and when you saw right through me, I almost panicked, but both of you, became my friends anyway." I admitted to what my reason for reaching out to them, all those years ago.  
"Dill… even if we didn't me like that, even if you didn't say anything to impress us, we still be friends with you." Scout said, looking at me in the eye.  
"Why?"  
"Because, it would've been clear that you didn't know how to make friends, and we'd make you our friend, because of how shy you were. We wouldn't care if you didn't impress us, hell, you impressed with your wild imagination if nothin' else." Jem looked at me, being nothing but honest.  
"Dill, even if the stuff we did was stupid as hell, and even if you and Jem were complete pricks to me that one summer, they were still the most fun I've had in a long time, and it was because you were there, Dill." Scout smiled at me, and held my hand.  
"Y'know what else?" Jem asked.  
I looked at Jem, and he told me, "I think Scout would still fall in love with you, even if you weren't coy, because you're a good person, not because you impressed her."  
Me and Scout blush, but nonetheless agree with him.  
Atticus had gone to bed, the moment this conversation started, he probably thought it would be good if we reconnected.  
I look up with tears in my eyes, I smiled and said, "I'm glad that I met all of you…"  
Scout kissed me on the cheek, and said, "So are we, Dill."  
I expected Jem to go crazy, but he smiled and said, "Don't go breaking her heart, I actually want you as little brother."  
We were all blushing at this point, but then we laughed.  
We were three kids, who became friends on one summer day, and nothing has changed since then, never has, never will.


	10. Christmas at Finch's Landing

Christmas was here, we were all packed for our visit to Finch's Landing. I actually suggested that, we pack early, so that we can leave after we eat breakfast. They all agreed, and all the rest was tied. I put all of my gifts in the back of the car, and Atticus smiled at me, and I just smiled back.  
Before I left, I opened Aunt Rachel's present, and it was a picture album. She looked at me expecting me to be disappointed, but I said, "Thank you, Rachel. Now I don't have to worry about losing photos."  
She smiled, and she opened her present. "A flask… thank you, Dill, but I'm not going to use for what you think I'm going to use it for." She said, smiling.  
"That don't matter, I'm just glad you like it." I said, as I hugged her.  
"You're growin' up… I remember when you used to be a shorty." Aunt Rachel said, hugging back.  
"I'll see you later, Aunt Rachel." I said, and let go.  
I waved goodbye, as Atticus started the car, and left the driveway.  
"Dill… I don't see how anybody could be mean to you." Sam said, smiling from the front seat.  
"You'd have a heart of Satan." I responded.  
They all laughed at that joke, and we were on the way to Finch's Landing.

When we got to Finch's Landing, Alexandra came out to greet us immediately; she was surprised to see me.  
"Dill, what are you doing here?" She asked.  
"I came to visit for Christmas." I answered.  
Alexandra looked down, as if she was ashamed of something, but she looked up at us, and said, "Come on in…" We all got our gifts out of the car; Scout, Jem, and Atticus opened each other's a few days ago, they offered me to join, but I said that, "I want to wait till we get to Finch's Landing" and they had no problem with that.  
Once we were inside, I was introduced to some members of the Finch's Landing.  
"Dill, this is Uncle Jack. Uncle Jack this is Dill." Scout introduced me to her Uncle Jack, he was pretty cool, he's a doctor, and is 10 years older than Atticus, he was also pretty fun to talk to.  
"Pleasure to meet you, Dill." Jack said, shaking my hand.  
"Likewise." I said, smiling.  
"So… you're the famous Uncle Jack that Maudie told me about. I'm Samuel Tailor, it's nice to meet you." Sam said, shaking his hand.  
"So… you're the new lawyer in town. You workin' on a case yet?" Jack asked, elbowing him.  
"Yeah, but you should know that already."  
Jack took a look of me, and said, "So… you're the feller that Scout was talkin' about a few years ago, didn't expect you to be short."  
I blushed a little, and said, "I'm 11 years old, by the way."  
Jack made a weird face, and responded, "I would've guessed younger."  
Scout and Jem then introduced me to Francis, their cousin.  
"Francis, this is Dill." Jem said.  
"I know who he is, he's that kid who keeps getting dropped off at other relatives." He responded.  
Scout and Jem cleared their throats as if to say, "Shut up", but it was to no avail.  
"Why is a homeless kid at place he don't belong too?!" He asked.  
"Francis, shut the hell up, or I will throw you out the window!" Scout threatened.  
"And I'll let her, that isn't something to say to a guest, apologize!" Jem said, angrily.  
"Why?" Francis asked.  
"Because being neglected isn't something to joke about, you stupid brat!" I yelled.  
"At least I have a family that cares about me, you homeless trash!" Francis said, smiling like a prick.  
I wanted to wrangle this kid, and leave him out in the snow, and I think that both Jem and Scout would've let me. But Sam and Alexandra came and stopped the fight before it got violent.  
"What's going on here?!" Alexandra asked.  
"Grandma, he called me a stupid brat for no reason!" Francis answered, making faces at me.  
"What's your side, Dill?" Sam asked.  
I looked at Sam and Alexandra in the eye, and I responded, "Jem and Scout were just introducing me to Francis, and he just made fun of my home life."  
"Oh, he's lying!" Francis shouted.  
"No he isn't!" Scout yelled.  
"Francis went out of line, Auntie." Jem said, looking serious.  
"Francis… apologize to Dill right now, being neglected isn't something you joke about, especially if they don't deserve it." Alexandra said, sternly.  
"But!" Francis began to argue, but Sam just stepped up, with a face that could kill, if looks could kill.  
"Look, you louse! Dill came here to visit his friends, and if you are going to be a problem, the doors over there, here is some money for the phone, you can call your folks back at Mobile, or do you want to get thrown out the window…" Sam was speaking with a real deep voice, and I'm not going to lie, it was pretty frightening.  
Francis looked at me, and said, "I'm sorry…"  
He clearly wasn't, but I knew that Alexandra had it covered, so I just smiled at her, and she smiled back, it was clear that there were no hard feelings.

It was time to open presents, and they started with my gifts first; when Atticus opened his gift, he said, "I've actually been looking for this one, but I could never find it in Maycomb, thank you, Dill."  
I smiled, and I gestured Alexandra to open hers next, and when she did, she just simply said, "I'm glad you're not mad at me, Dill."  
"No hard feelings, Alexandra." I said, smiling.  
I look at Sam, and he opened his gift. "I thought you would like a new pendant." I said, hoping he wouldn't be mad.  
"You didn't have to replace my pendant, Dill, but I'm glad you did." Sam smiled at me, and put it on his neck.  
Jem opened his next, and he just looked at me with a real wide smirk. "Dill… I'm glad to have a friend like you."  
"I thought you wanted a new football." I said, smiling.  
Scout opened hers next, and she didn't know what to think, so I say, "You gave me this necklace for my birthday, so I thought it would be fair, if you got something similar."  
"I'm usually not a fan of these things, but since you bought it, I'll wear it…" Scout said, smiling.  
I put it on her neck, and she tells me, "Thank you, Dill."  
"Now it's Dill's turn to open his gifts." Sam said, as he gave me his gift.  
I opened it, and it was some long sleeve shirts, and pants. "Thank you… I was actually needing new clothes." I said, looking at him.  
"Not a problem." Sam said, smiling.  
I opened Atticus' next, and it was an air rifle. "I figured you could use this to vent some frustration, just don't use it on people or mockingbirds." Atticus said, sternly.  
"I won't Atticus, I promise." I said, understanding his terms.  
I opened Jem's next, and his was some swim trunks. "For next summer… We can't have you swimming in your underwear."  
I made sure they were the right size, and when I confirmed that they were indeed my size, I told him, "Thanks Jem, I needed some swim trunks."  
I then looked for Scout's, but I notice that she didn't have a present for me. "Scout, where's yours" I asked.  
Scout looked at me and whispered, "You'll see…"  
It didn't take me long to realize that she wanted to give it to me alone, so I just pretended that she forgot it.  
"You forgot it…? Oh well, it's not the end of the world."  
Everyone started opening each other's gifts; Scout got a blouse, a skirt, and jeans from Alexandra; apparently she wanted to at least give Scout something a little feminine that wasn't a dress, which Scout was more than glad to be the case.

Once everyone was done opening their gifts, we all sat down and ate. I had the option of sitting with Atticus and the other adults, but I didn't want to leave Scout alone, so I declined their offer, and me and Scout were now alone.  
"So… what's up?" I asked, nervously.  
"Dill… did you mean it?" Scout asked, blushing.  
"You're changing, Scout… I prefer it when you're a tomboy." She looked at me, and it was clear she wanted me to answer her question.  
"Yes I meant it."  
"Good, cause if you didn't mean it, I would've kicked your ass… again." Scout said, now back to her normal self.  
"There's the Scout I know and love." I joked.  
Scout pushed me, and we both laughed like there was no tomorrow.  
But then I noticed something above us, something that I wasn't really prepared for. I hear Scout ask what's wrong, and I point up to the mistletoe that was above us. My heart was beating like crazy, like it was going to pop out of my chest at any moment.  
But before I could even think, I press my lips against hers, and for a brief moment, we were experiencing bliss.  
Not wanting to give people the wrong idea, we soon part from our kiss, and Scout says, "Merry Christmas, Dill."  
I looked at her and asked, "Was that your Christmas present?"  
She nodded, and I just respond, "Thank you, Scout."  
She then looks at me in the eye and says, "I love you, Dill Harris."  
"I love you too, Scout Finch."


	11. Dad

A week went by, and we were now back at Maycomb. Sam sent a letter to my folks, saying that I was sick, and that I needed a week of rest, which was bold faced lie, but if they did care about me, then they would stop whatever they were doing, and come to Maycomb, but I knew that they wouldn't come, they probably wouldn't even read it.  
When we got home, my Aunt Rachel came outside, she looked pale for some reason.  
"What's wrong, Aunt Rachel?" I asked.  
"All of you come inside, there is someone I want you to meet." Aunt Rachel said.  
We had no idea what was going on, but nevertheless, we followed her inside, and who we saw, was the man that gave me the money to buy my friends gifts.  
"That's the man who gave me money for your gifts." I said, surprised to see him.  
"So he was the one you were talking about, Dill?" Scout asked.  
"Yeah."  
"Who is he, Ms. Rachel?" Jem asked.  
Aunt Rachel looked down at me, and said, "It's best if Dill asked."  
I was reluctant at first, but Atticus and Sam looked at me, as if they were saying, "Go ahead."  
I walk up to the man, and as I got closer he says, "Hello Dill, we meet again."  
"Who are you?" I asked.  
"I guess you can't really see my face now, can you?" He asked.  
I shake my head, no, and he then looks up to me, and he says, "It's been a long time… my son."  
I was shocked, happy, sad, and angry all at once, but even with all of these emotions colliding at once, the only thing I could say was, "Dad…?"  
He took off his hat, revealing white hair (platinum blonde) and he says, "I don't expect you to forgive me, after all I left you…"  
"Why did you…?" I asked, trying not to cry.  
"I am deathly ill, the doctors told me it wasn't contagious, but your mother didn't believe me, so she kicked me out of the house. I believe the last thing she said was, "I  
don't ever want to see you again, you damn invalid!" My Dad explained.  
"That's not an excuse…" Sam said, with an angry tone.  
"I didn't want to leave, I really didn't, but I didn't want to take the chance on the doctor's being wrong, that's why I ran! I know it's a lousy excuse, and you have every  
right to be mad at me, but if you can forgive me for being a coward… then at least I'll be able to die happy." My Dad was crying, he really did feel awful about leaving me.  
I hugged my father, and I told him, "I forgive you, Dad."  
"How can you forgive me so easily?" Dad asked, confused.  
"Because you care…" I answered, as I continued hugging him.  
Sam came up and said, "I'm sorry for lashing out at you, Mr. Harris."  
"Don't be… I left him alone, and what's worse, his mother didn't even try to raise him right, I could've stopped her, but I didn't… I'm a coward, a coward who can't even  
do what he knows his right, all because he is too scared to confront people." Dad felt guilty for leaving me behind, and being aware of my neglect, but I wasn't mad at  
him, if anything, I felt sorry for him.  
"Mr. Harris, everything's okay now, your son had forgiven you, because you had a reason to leave, you didn't want him to die from your illness, because you weren't sure  
that it wasn't contagious. Now, I'm not saying that you did the right thing, but the fact that you have feel immense guilt for what you did, tells us that you deserved to  
be forgiven." Sam said, taking his hat off.  
My Dad looked at me, and he said, "I only have a week left to live."  
I look down at the ground, and I ask, "Is there anything you want me to do?"  
"Just talk to me, when you have the time." He answered.  
"I'll come every day, I promise!" I say, tears now falling down.  
"Thank you…" My Dad soon fell asleep, and we all ended up going home.

"You sure about this, Dill?" Jem asked.  
"Yes. He's my father, I have to at least do something for him before he passes." I answered.  
Scout and Atticus came in, and they sat down to talk to me. Atticus soon placed his hand on his shoulder, and he started talking about how Jem went through something similar. "During the spring, I asked Jem to read to Mrs. Dubose, because he ruined her garden after she called me a "nigger-lover", but the real reason was because she needed a distraction so she could get over her morphine addiction."  
Jem looked at me and told me his side of the story. "I read to her for a month and a week, and I have to admit, I hated every second of it. She died a few days after I was told that she no longer needed me to read to her, and as thanks, she gave me a candy box with a camellia flower in it, and I disposed of it in anger, but…"  
Jem stopped, and Scout finished for him. "He started admiring the flower later, and he realized something about her, that we have never seen before."  
"What was that?" I asked.  
"Mrs. Dubose was the bravest person we ever knew." Atticus answered.  
"Atticus was trying to teach me the importance of bravery and true courage to endure anything that seemed hopeless, such as her morphine addiction." Jem explained, sympathetically.  
"Dill, by deciding to be with your father in his final moments on this earth, you've decided to endure watching him die, because you want to make him happy with what little time he has left. That is a very brave thing to do, not many people could make that decision so quickly." Atticus said this to me with such honesty, that it was kind of overwhelming.  
"I want to get to know him, is that wrong?" I asked.  
"Not at all." Jem answered, softly.  
"Dill… if it's alright, can me and Jem visit him with you?" Scout asked.  
"It's alright with me." I answered.

The first day we visited him, we talked about how I first met Scout and Jem, about Boo Radley, and how I dared Jem to touch Boo's house. My Dad was listening intently, to every last word we were saying, and he gave me a smile, it was nice.  
"You were a wild child back then, weren't you, son?" Dad asked.  
"Wild child?! With all due respect Mr. Harris, your son made every passing day a hell of a lot more fun." Jem answered, honestly.  
"I'm glad to see you're such a good friend to him, if you could continue to be friends that would make me very happy." Dad was smiling, he really did enjoy our company, needless to say, I was happy.

The second day, we talked about how I asked Scout to marry me, how she kicked my ass, and how I kissed her when Jem wasn't looking.  
"He was about as coy as you can get, Mr. Harris" Scout joked.  
"I used to be the same way with his mother, though she was much less of a tomboy." Dad said.  
"And more of a bitch." I remarked.  
Dad looked at me, and I felt bad for what I said.  
"I'm sorry, Dad."  
"It's fine… I just wish I wasn't so weak." Dad explained, sadly.  
"Mr. Harris, you're not weak. If you take after your son, then you have to be strong with something." Scout said, trying to cheer him up.  
"Scout… I'm not that strong." I said, sadly.  
"Don't give me that!" She yelled.  
"Scout…"  
"You're one of the strongest people I know, you were alone for most of your life till you met me and Jem, and you stayed strong through those years, being with relatives that weren't yer own, and you ran away from Meridian, just so you can see us." Scout explained, with tears her eyes.  
"Scout… don't cry, it's alright…" I said, hugging her.  
My Dad then looked up and said, "Now that you mention it, I do have some strength in me. I was the one who have Dill that coat in November, and I did give him money to buy you all gifts."  
"Y'see? You are strong, you just got to think about it." Scout said, smiling.  
My Dad looked at me, and he just simply said, "Dill… I think you and her are going to work out fine."  
Me and Scout just blushed, and he just laughed, we joined in later, and it was a happy day for him.

The third day, Atticus came over and we had a chat with Dad about Tom Robinson's trial. Dad was listening to what we both told, so he had a good idea of my end, and Atticus' end.  
"That poor man… to be convicted of a crime he didn't commit, and then to be shot down like a dog." Dad felt sorry for Tom, I didn't blame him.  
"We were hoping to have him be acquitted through appeal, but that never came to be, unfortunately." Atticus said, wiping his glasses.  
Dad started coughing, and I started getting worried, but he told that he was fine for now.  
I then tell him about how Bob Ewell was killed, because he tried to kill Scout and Jem.  
"My God, were they hurt?!" Dad showed concern for Atticus, and his children at that moment, completely forgetting that he was sick.  
"Jem got a broken arm, and Scout had some scratches, that's all." Atticus explained.  
"Thank goodness… Whatever happened to Mayella?" He asked.  
"She feels bad for what she did to Tom, and actually went to apologize to Helen, she didn't forgive her, but she did thank her for telling her she was sorry. Mayella wasn't surprised at all, we later saw her at the graveyard where her father was buried, she talked about why she targeted her younger siblings, when she got hurt the most by the end of the day, she said that she felt nothing but contempt for him, and she spat on his grave… I think, she's taking care of her younger siblings now." I answered.  
"That's right… I also see her mending Tom's grave, every now and then." Atticus stated.  
"Well… it's good that she is trying to make up for it." Dad said, looking at the ceiling.

On the fourth day, Sam came with me to visit Dad, he talked about how he plans on getting me away from my folks in Meridian, and Dad seemed to agree with him.  
His health had weakened drastically, and he was now coughing a lot. I was scared, it was hard for me to get to know Dad, then to lose him so quickly; I couldn't prepare myself for that and they knew it, but I had decided to stay by his side till the end, and I wasn't going to run away from this.  
"Sam… can you take a picture of me and Dill?" Dad asked, smiling.  
"Sure…" Sam got out his folding camera, it was an Argus A type; he told us to smile, and he took the picture.  
"You're going to have to wait till it clears up, it will probably take around an hour or two." Sam said.  
"Thank you…" My Dad said.  
My Dad looked at me, and asked, "Dill, can you visit alone tomorrow?"  
"Sure, but why?" I asked.  
"I want to give you something." Dad answered.  
"Alright." I agreed, reluctantly.  
"Sam, can you take this?" My Dad asked, giving Sam a letter.  
Sam took it, and asked, "Are you sure?"  
My Dad looked at me and said, "Don't worry about it, son… Just go home and rest."

On the fifth day, Dad's health was at it's worse point, and I knew that he was going to die tomorrow, and this made it hard for me to see him, but I did so anyway.  
"Dad…?" I called.  
"Yes…" He answered.  
"You said, you had something to give me." I reminded him.  
"Come closer…" He said, weakly.  
I went up right next to him, he as pale as a ghost, it was hard for me to see him like this.  
"Son… I wanted to give my hat, and my watch, these will be my final gift to you, my son."  
"Dad…"  
"Put it on, Dill, please…" I put his hat on, and he just smiled.  
"Do I look like you?" I asked.  
"No… even better…" He answered.  
"Can I leave early?" I asked. "It's hard for me to see you like this."  
My Dad smiled at me, and said, "You may, but please be here tomorrow."  
"I will."  
"I headed back to Atticus' house, and I went to the guest room, and I cried myself to sleep.

The sixth day… was the last time I ever saw him alive, as when I entered the room, he was coughing up blood.  
"Dad!"  
"Dill… I see you came after all." He said, smiling.  
"Of course I did!" I shouted.  
"No need to shout, Dill…" Dad said, weakly.  
I was unable to hold back my tears, as I started begging him to hold on. "Daddy… please hold on… there is so much we haven't done yet, I want to play catch with you, I want to laugh with you, I want you see me off to school every day, so please… just hold on!"  
I was crying, begging, and pleading him to hang on, but he just smiled and said, "Dill… we all have to die someday, and my time is officially up, I have no regrets now that I was able to spend my last days with you…" Dad was accepting his fate, and I was being selfish.  
"Dad…" I cried out.  
"It's funny… I was prepared to die, but now I don't want to die… I guess that is how it is for everyone who knows their life is over." Dad said, weakly.  
"Daddy…" I was crying even more now; I was watching my Dad die right in front of me, who I've only got to know for a week, and I was powerless to do anything.  
"Dill… can you grant me one last wish?" He asked.  
"Anything!" I was desperate to at least do one more thing for him, before he died.  
"Can you... show me one last smile… like this?" Dad was desperately trying to smile, and watching him just made it harder for me to carry it out.  
"I'll try…" I answered, as I wipe away my tears, and I try to smile.  
"That's good…" He said, smiling.  
I kept smiling for him, even with tears falling down face, I keep smiling for him.  
"Thank… you… Dill…" Dad soon stopped breathing, and he slowly closed his eyes... permanently.  
"Dad…? DAD!" I was now crying my eyes out, my Dad was now dead.  
Sam heard me and came inside the room.  
"Dill…?" I run towards Sam, and I hugged him tightly.  
"Sam... Dad is… Dad is dead!" I cried.  
"I know…" Sam comforted me.  
"Do you think he was happy, Sam?" I asked, still crying.  
"Yeah… Yeah, I do…" Sam answered me, and he started crying soon after.  
"He… He's smiling, with his final breath he kept a smile on his face… So, yes Dill, I do believe he was happy."

The next day was his funeral, and I cried as I watch them bury him underground. Atticus was a bit misty eyed, Aunt Rachel was crying, Jem tried not to cry, but he couldn't hold it back, and Scout was crying for me as well.  
"He asked me to smile for him." I admitted to everyone.  
"He wanted to see you smile, so he wouldn't have any regrets." Sam explained.  
"Are you going to leave tomorrow?" Scout asked.  
"He has to." Aunt Rachel said.  
I looked at my Dad's hat, and I put it on, along with his wristwatch.  
"I may have only known him for a week, but I'll never forget the short time we spent together." I said.  
Jem hugged me, so he could comfort me. "Y'see Dill? You are strong…"  
Scout looked at me, and said, "You look good in that hat, Dill…"  
"Thank you… this, his watch, and this picture are all I have left of him now, and I'm never going to get rid of it."  
"Just hang in there, Dill!" Scout said, hugging me tightly.  
"Everyone… thank you… truly." I said, as I start tearing up.  
That short time I got to know father, I'll never forget as long as I live, he was a good man, and I'm glad that I got to know my real father.

* * *

 _Here lies:_

 _Rick Baker Harris_

 _A loving father till the bitter end._

 _1899-1937_


	12. My Life In Meridian Part 2

I had to leave Maycomb, and go back to Meridian. On the way back, I never once took my Dad's hat or watch off. To be honest, I thought I was just going to have to wait a few more boring months, but when I got home, I got more than what I bargained for.

I opened the door to my house, and I noticed that Mom was staring at me with disgust.  
"If you don't like looking at me, you don't have too." I said, bitter.

"Where did you get the hat?" She asked.

"Why do you care?" I asked, rhetorically.

"Answer her, now!" My Stepdad ordered.

"A friend gave it to me for Christmas." I lied.

"Don't lie to me, boy!" Mom ordered.

"You know what, screw you!" I yelled, and I went to my room, and slammed it.

"Where did you get the watch?" I heard Mom asked.

"A friend gave that to me as well, now stop bothering me, and do whatever you two do!" I yelled.

I had no idea how they would react if I told them it belonged to my Dad, and I didn't want to test them, so I stayed quiet for a good few months, until finally spring rolled by.

Spring felt nice, I decided to spend most of my days outside, instead of at my folks, it was a hell of a lot more enjoyable than reading a book, or playing with those toys.

I would usually hang around the train station, run around the fields, or write to my friends in Maycomb. It wasn't my idea of having a good time, at it at least killed the boredom.

As I was about to write another note, I realized that I never told Sam about how my parents reacted, so I decided to write to him about that. _"Sam, I realized I never told you how my parents reacted when I got back home, my mom asked me where I got my hat and watch from, I lied to them, and they just started pressing me. Needless to say, I ran to my room and I left it at that. I think its best I don't tell them about Dad, let me know what you think."_

A week went by, and April was about to start, the month of Scout's birthday. I decided to take a picture of what I looked like now, and mail it to her a week before her birthday, and if she got early, then that would be fine too.

"Sir, how much is single photo?" I asked the photographer.

"$2" he answered.

I gave him the money, I tipped my hat up, and I smiled widely.

"Say Cheese." He said.

My picture was now taken, I grabbed the photo, and tell him, "Thank you."

I then walked to the post office, got Sam's letter, and I read it on the way home.

" _Dill, you're right in not telling them about where you got those from, it could make them do more than just neglect you. Look, just say the word, and I'll come running by your side, besides, all we need now is time, but until then, don't tell them that you got your hat and watch from your Dad, if I don't hear back from you, I'll be over in a week."_

 _Sam._

The moment I got home, I noticed my folks reading the newspaper, I just ignored them, and I went back to my room to write a letter back to Sam. _"Sam, thanks for replying back, I think if you came and visit before Scout's birthday that would be great, I want to get out of this place as soon as possible."_

It was now April 19th, and I was heading to the post office to send Scout my present. Once I did that, I just hanged around the area till it was evening, and then I headed home, but as soon as I got home, I was in for trouble.

"So you did get those from your father!" My Mom yelled.

"How did you-?" I began to ask.

"What do you mean, "get out of this place"? Are you going to run away from us, after all the stuff we gave you?!" Stepdad asked, furious.

I was holding this back for so long, and I was now finally able to tell them how I really thought of them. "Just getting a kid nice things, doesn't make them want to stay! You have to love, care, and nurture them, and you did none of that! You assholes neglected me!"

"Then what about your real father, he neglected you?!" Mom asked, furiously.

"Bullshit! You threw him out because you thought that he was contagious, even though he wasn't!" I defended him; I wasn't going to have this son of a bitch talk like that about him, even if she was my Mom.

"So, you side with an invalid over your family?" Stepdad asked.

"Family?! Don't make me laugh, you were never my family, my real family is back in Maycomb, in fact, just make it easy on yourselves, and just have me stay with Aunt Rachel. I mean, let's be real here, you'd be better off without me!" I said, smirking,

"You little shit!" Mom yelled.

I then felt something hit me, and I was knocked unconscious; by the time I woke up, I was in my room and my folks were gone. I went to open my door, but it was locked on the outside.

"Hey, what's going on!?" I yelled, I banged on the door, and I realize that I'm alone in my room, I tried opening my window, but to no avail. I was trapped in my own room, with no way out, and at that moment, I reverted back to the weak child I was a year ago, and I start crying, till my voice was hoarse.

I was by myself in a lonely room, and even though I knew no one could hear me, I kept saying, "Save me."

"Help me"

"I don't want to be alone."

Three days went by, I was hungry and thirsty, and I all I could hear was the clock going,

Tick tock

Tick tock

Tick tock

Tick tock

It was enough to drive me insane, and I just felt like dying, but I held on, and I hoped and prayed that someone would rescue me. Then I start hearing footsteps, and a familiar voice, it was Sam's. "Dill? If you're in there, answer me!"

"Help me…" I said weakly.

Sam kicked down the door, and ran to my side; I didn't hear what he was saying, as I was losing consciousness, but I knew one thing for sure...

My folks were in for it.


	13. That's The Way It Happens

I woke up, and Sam was right next to me. I was about to ask him what happened, but he told me, "Don't talk for right now, you're incredibly dehydrated."  
Sam got me some water, and he handed it to me. "Drink it slowly."  
I listened to him, and he then got me some food, and I finished that sucker fast.  
Sam placed his hand on my forehead, and said, "No fever, that's good at least."  
"Sam… I was stupid." I was giving myself mental penance, but Sam just hugged me.  
"No… I was the stupid one. It didn't occur to me, to tell you to hide the letter."  
Sam blamed himself for this, but I didn't want that, so I tell him that, "I should've been able to figure that out on my own."  
Sam smiled, and I smiled back, we both were stupid in not thinking about that sooner.  
"I'm going to a guess that your folks did this." Sam said, smile now gone.  
I responded "yes", and Sam just looked at me, with sympathetic eyes.  
"Sam… I think they're going to be back today, let's just end it now…" I said, hoping he would listen.  
Sam looked at me, smiled, and said, "Took the words right of my mouth, but you need to rest first."  
I nodded, and I began resting on the couch we had, in the living room.

I woke up a few hours later, just in time to see my shithead folks walk in.  
"Who are you?" Mom asked.  
"My name is Samuel Tailor, and I found your son dehydrated on the floor, in his room, calling out for help." Sam answered, with his serious voice.  
"Well, he's fine now, you can leave." Stepdad said.  
"No… I've been gathering proof that you have been neglecting him, for quite a while." Sam said.  
They were silent; there was no way that they could argue their way through this.  
"Alright, cut the bullshit and tell me the truth, you bastards." Sam said, scaring then.  
"Our son must've locked himself in his room, and couldn't get out." Mom said.  
"That's funny, because It was locked on the outside... how would he lock himself out and yet be inside at the same time?"  
"Now, tell me something I will believe, or you'll face the judge in Maycomb, Alabama."  
With little to no choice, they surrendered; we dropped them off at the Meridian Police Department, and Sam explained everything. They then tell us that, they can't hold a trial until August, and that was fine with us.  
We got tickets to Maycomb, we boarded the train, and I said my final farewell to Meridian.  
I wasn't going to miss it, one bit.

The second we arrived in Maycomb, we headed to Atticus' house. Scout and Jem were still in school, so that meant that Calpurnia was looking after the house and was waiting for them to get home.  
Eventually, we got to Atticus' house; we knocked on the door and Calpurnia came to check, and when she saw me standing right next to Sam, she was surprised.  
"Dill, what are you doing here?!" She asked.  
"Now's not the time, Calpurnia. Do you have any food ready?" Sam asked, concerned for my well-being.  
"It should be ready soon." Calpurnia answered.  
"Good."  
"Dill, explain everything to Calpurnia. I have to let Atticus know you're here." Sam said, as he headed to the phone to call Atticus' office.  
Calpurnia sat me down and asked me, "What happened, Dill?"  
I explained everything to her; I knew I could trust her as she was the same person who was like a mother figure to Scout and Jem.  
"I see… so that's what happened." Calpurnia looked at me with pity, and for some reason it bothered me, but I had no idea why.  
"Please don't pity me, it bothers me for some reason." I said, not wanting to be rude.  
"That's normal, Dill…" She responded.  
As soon as she said that, Atticus came in and got a good look at me; he then place his hand on my forehead to see if I had a fever.  
Atticus gave a sigh of a relief, and told me, "Dill, stay where you are for right now."  
I asked if I was sick, and he responded, "No… but you're still very weak, so I would recommend not moving around for a while, at least until you regained some strength. Scout and Jem will be home by the time dinner is ready, you can explain everything then."  
Atticus went to the living room to talk with Sam. While I was curious on what they were talking about, I already had a good idea, and I didn't want to disobey Atticus after he showed concern for me, so I just waited for Scout and Jem to get home; as I waited I thought about the look on their faces, and I chuckled at the thought, but I started wondering if it would turn out that way.  
When they finally got home, they were indeed shocked, but also concerned, as they immediately noticed that I was weak from hunger and thirst.  
"Dill! By god, you look horrible!" Scout yelled.  
"Is that what you say to your boyfriend?" I joked.  
"This isn't the time for jokes, Dill!" Jem shouted.  
Atticus and Sam came in, and they told them to calm down.  
"Calpurnia, is dinner almost ready?" Atticus asked.  
"Just got done." Calpurnia answered.  
"Thanks Calpurnia, this really means a lot." I said, really grateful.  
As we got our food, Scout and Jem asked me what happened, and I answered all their questions to the best of my abilities, but with me being barely conscious, it was a little difficult.  
Scout was the first to lose her cool, which didn't surprise anyone. "Those bastards!" She shouted.  
Jem wasn't able to keep his cool, as he asked Sam, in a furious tone, "Tell me you put those sons of bitches in jail?!"  
Atticus was the only one to keep his cool, and he said, "You two calm down. Sam did have those two arrest, and if they don't approve to Dill being adopted, then they have a trial scheduled in August, and Sam will be the one representing Dill, if it comes to that."  
"If it does come to that, I'm going to make sure to sever their ties with Dill, even if it costs me my badge." Sam was serious, he was actually willing to lose his job for my sake.  
I was worried that he would lose his job for me, so I asked, "Will you lose your job if you defend me?"  
Atticus answered for him, "No… He's saying that he's willing to go against the law if it keeps you safe."  
"But's that crazy!" Jem shouted.  
"It's my choice, Jem… But I don't think we're going to have to worry about that, because all the evidence I have is decisive, and that's not even including my testimony." Sam said, with confidence.  
"Can he really win, Atticus?" Scout asked.  
"It's a cut and dry case, having a trial is almost pointless." Atticus answered.  
"But people will up and go mad, when they think that their life is over." Sam continued.  
"Like Tom…?" Jem asked, sadly.  
Atticus looked at Jem sadly, and responded, "Like Tom…"

Once we finished our dinner, I took a bath, and I went to the guest room. Sam was waiting for me in the room, and he wanted tell me something.  
"Dill… Aunt Rachel doesn't think she can raise you right, because of her family's history. So she wants Atticus to look after you, she'll still see you, but until the court says otherwise, consider this room yours."  
I had a feeling that my Aunt would feel this way; I was still sad that she felt that way, but I could understand where she was coming from. So instead of arguing about it, I just accepted it, and was at least happy that I was staying with Atticus.  
"Also… I need to organize the evidence for the trial, so you won't see me for a while, but I'm going to get started tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll be finished before the trial starts." Sam said.  
"Don't worry about it, just focus on getting them in jail." I said, trying to smile.  
Truthfully, I didn't want Sam to be doing this for too long, but I could tell that he didn't want to either, so I just tried to smile to lift his spirits up.  
Sam gave a small smile and said, "Thanks Dill."  
Once he left the room, I climbed in the bed, and I drifted off to sleep.


	14. I'll Be Here

I woke up at around 2:30 in the morning, to someone crying. I went to see who it was, and I found it was Scout, she seemed to have had a nightmare.  
"Scout, are you okay?" I asked.  
"Hey Dill, sorry if I woke you up, I just had a nightmare." She said, calming down.  
I climb up her bed, and I asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"  
"I was being chased by Bob Ewell, he had knife in his hand, and he was chasing me I was screaming for help, but no one came, so I just ran as far as I could, but he eventually catches up to me, and right when his knife was about hit me, I wake up…" She started crying, and I comforted her in any way I could.  
"I don't blame you for crying, since it's a based on a really traumatizing memory." I said, hugging her.  
Scout cried in my shoulder, the nightmare really did a number on her emotional state.  
Scout starts calming down, and she admits, "This isn't the first time I had these dreams, but I usually woke up after he catches me, not when his knife was about to strike… it scared me."  
"Who comforted you at first?" I asked, curious.  
"Jem and Atticus for a while, but after a few months I was able to handle them fine, until now..." She answered.  
"How long were you having these nightmares?" I asked, worried.  
"Since after the incident, but they never been that bad, in fact, the worst part was that it felt real…" Scout answered, tearing up.  
At that moment, I realized that I have never once considered her mental state, I just assumed she got over it, but I knew better than that… Or at least I thought I did. I was feeling guilty for not asking her about these dreams sooner. I was so worried about myself, that I never once considered what Scout and Jem were going through, after they were nearly killed.  
" _God, I'm such an idiot… I'm supposed to be her boyfriend, but I never asked her about that night, how she was feeling, if she was having nightmares, or anything like that at all!"  
_ I realized how selfish I was, and I was determine to stop being like that starting right now.  
"Scout… I'm sorry." I said, hugging her.  
"For what?" She asked.  
"For not asking about that night sooner… You were clearly suffering from those events, and I never asked about how you were feeling, or if you were having nightmares…" I answered.  
"Don't worry about it, Dill." She says, trying to make me feel better.  
"No… You've been worried about my problems, it's only fair that I start worrying about your problems. You were almost killed, that isn't something you just forget about, that's something you need to talk to someone about." I said, giving her a serious look.  
"You're acting like you've grown 10 inches" Scout joked.  
"I'm serious… If you need someone to talk to, or just a shoulder to cry on, just know that I'm here, and this time, I'm here to stay…" I grabbed her hand, and she starts crying again.  
"Thank you, Dill." She says, as she wipes her tears, and smiles.  
"I'll be here whenever you need me, Scout, don't be afraid to talk to Atticus and Jem either, they're your family, and they care about you, and besides, Jem may want your help, as much as you want his." I said, smiling.  
"You're very sweet, Dill." Scout smiled, and gives me a kiss on the cheek.  
"Cut that out, you're making me blush." I joked.  
She chuckled quietly, and then asks, "Dill, can you stay with me tonight?"  
I blushed a little, but then I smiled at her, and I responded, "Sure…"  
I lay down right next to her, and I start holding her hand.  
"Scout… I promise you that I will keep you safe, no matter where you are, just know that I'll be there."  
Scout smiles and responds, "And anytime you need me, I'll come running to you like mad."  
"You're my girl and I'm your feller, and all the rest is talk." I said, smiling.  
We soon fall asleep, with both of our promises to be there for each other in the back of our minds.  
I didn't care what people thought, in fact, what's the use of wondering?  
We loved each other, there's nothing more to say.


	15. Going To School In Maycomb

Atticus was the one to wake up me and Scout; needless to say, I was embarrassed and frightened about what he was thinking.  
"What are you doing in Scout's bed, Dill?" Atticus asked, sternly.  
I was sweating up a storm, but I came clean and told him: "I heard Scout crying, so I went to see what was wrong. She told me she had a nightmare about Bob Ewell chasing her, so I decided to cheer her up, and she asked me to stay with her for the night, that's all that happened, I swear."  
Atticus looked at me in the eye to see if I was fibbing or not. Once he saw that I was telling the truth, he ruffled my hair, smiled, and said, "Thank you for keeping Scout company, Dill."  
I smiled with relief, and I exited her room, so she could change into her school uniform.  
"What are you waiting for, Dill?" Atticus asked.  
"Huh?"  
"You have to get ready for school. Your school uniform is in your room; it should fit you fine." Atticus stated, while reading his newspaper.  
"I'm going to school here now?" I asked, confused.  
"That's right… You won't be going to school in Meridian anymore, so you need to get your education somewhere, and your Aunt Rachel was able to convince the school here to add you on their role." Atticus explained.  
I started thinking how she convinced them, and I couldn't think of anything that didn't end with her annoying somebody, so I decided that it was best if I didn't have this question answered at all.  
"What grade did you put me in?" I asked, kind of wanting to be put in the 4th grade, so I could be near Scout.  
"4th grade… I figured you would want to be close to a friend." Atticus answered.  
I hugged Atticus in response to his answer; I think I surprised him, but he didn't act like it, he just hugged me back, like I was his own, and I tell him, "Thank you, Atticus."  
"No big deal, son. Now go get dressed." Atticus said, pointing to my room.  
I did as I was told, and I went to put on my school uniform; it was a just a simple knicker, jeans, and some shoes, not much different from the other states. I put them on, and I head back to the kitchen where Jem was eating his breakfast.  
"Not bad, Dill." Jem said, looking at me.  
"Thanks…" I said, smiling.  
"Looks like we'll be going to the same school now." Jem said, smiling back.  
"Yeah…"  
I began to look around, and I noticed that Scout wasn't in here. "Where's Scout?" I asked.  
"She still hates putting on dresses, but who can blame her, those things look uncomfortable as hell." Jem stated.  
"Should I go get her?" I asked.  
"No, she'll be down in a minute, and besides, school starts in 30 minutes. We have plenty of time." Jem was pretty confident, and he has been right before… but not all the time.  
"Dill, what are you doing just standing there? Sit down and eat your breakfast." Calpurnia said.  
"Thank you, Calpurnia." I said, as I began to eat.  
As I was eating my breakfast, Atticus asked me how well I did in school. I swallowed my food, and I gave an honest answer. "School was pretty uninteresting, we never could stay on one subject, so I just tried to learn what I could."  
"I see…" Atticus responded, as he went back to reading his paper.  
I heard Scout walk down, and I noticed that she wasn't wearing a dress, but a blouse and a long skirt. I blushed when I saw her uniform; I'm not gonna lie, she looked real pretty in that uniform.  
"Well, that's different." Jem stated.  
"Thought I try a blouse instead of a dress." Scout explained, not looking real happy.  
"And how is it?" I asked, curious.  
"The blouse is fine, but I don't like the skirt." Scout answered, and started eating her breakfast.  
"You better hurry, Scout. We don't want to make Dill late." Jem stated.  
"Don't rush me, Jem!" Scout shouted.  
"You guys late often?" I asked.  
"No, he just likes making me rush!" Scout answered.  
Jem just laughed, and Atticus gave him a firm look, which made him stopped.  
"Alright, I'm done." Scout said, and we all headed to school.

On the way to school, I asked Jem if there is anything at this school that I had to worry about, and he responded, "Some of the teachers are off their nut, but you're going to be in Scout's class, and her teacher is at least somewhat sane."  
I looked towards Scout, and I ask, "What's their name?"  
"Don't remember. I stopped trying to remember their names after Miss Gates." Scout answered.  
"Oh... Anybody I need to know about?" I asked, curious about her classmates.  
"The Ewell's have started going to school, but they're not in my class...There's Little Chuck Little, he's a small kid, but he has the mindset of an adult, and is a little gentleman." Scout answered.  
"What's his real name?"  
"Charles, but we call him, Little Chuck." Scout answered.  
"Anyone else?" I asked.  
"There's Walter Cunningham…" She answered.  
"He's the son of that man who led the mob that wanted to lynch Tom, and also changed his thoughts about him after the trial, right?  
"Yup, that's him. He's very poor, and is the same age as Jem, but he's not a bad person, just a little odd." Scout answered.  
"Scout, you know not talk about him like that, he's apologized already, so just give him a break." Jem said, defending him.  
"I only said, a little odd, not that he was anything else." Scout rebutted.  
Jem just gave up, and kept walking.  
"What about that other kid, Cecil Jacobs?" I asked, curious.  
"He's an asshole, let's just leave it that." Scout answered.  
"Can't defend that one, he's an example of prejudice being passed from parent to child." Jem stated.  
"Alright…" I said, as we arrived at school.  
I gotta go. Make sure she doesn't get in too much trouble, Dill." Jem said, running to the middle school building.  
"He better haul ass… I have the right mind, to kick his ass." Scout said, furious.  
"Didn't Atticus separate you two last time?" I asked.  
"Yes…" She answered.  
We just left that one alone, and walked to where her class was.

"Children, we have a new student from Meridian, why don't you tell us your name?"  
The teacher got all of the student's attention, and they were all looking at me; I'm not going to lie it made me nervous, but I quickly calmed down, and introduced myself, "My name is Dill Harris, and I've been comin' here every summer, but now I'm here to stay, so if you have a problem with me, just deal with it, because I'm not leavin' this place anytime soon."  
I made myself look like the cockiest bastard in the world, and sure enough, they weren't going to forget me anytime soon.  
"Thank you, Dill. There's a free seat right next to Jean Louise…" The teacher began to say.  
"Thanks." I said, and sat down in the desk right next to Scout.  
"Nice introduction." Scout complemented.  
"Beats the one I gave when I first met you and Jem." I stated.  
"You got me there." Scout admitted.  
Class was pretty normal, the only difference being that it was a hell of a lot more interesting. I mean, I guess it helped that they knew what they were teaching, instead of being random as hell.

Once class was over, I got up to introduce myself to some of the students.  
"Hey." I said.  
"Hello… You're the new kid, right?" A small kid asked.  
"Yeah, my name is Dill." I said, giving my hand out.  
"People call me Little Chuck." He said, shaking my hand.  
"Little Chuck is kinda long." I stated.  
"Mind if I just call you Chuck?"  
"No… in fact, I would prefer it." Chuck admitted.  
"Well Chuck, I hope we can be good friends." I said, smiling.  
I'm not going to lie, Chuck didn't seem that bad of a person to talk to, he was a little quiet, but kind, serious, and he seemed kind of lonely in my eyes.  
"Likewise…" Chuck looked up and noticed my hair color. "Your hair is white…"  
"Yeah… I get it from my father, but he passed away a few months ago…" I admitted.  
"Oh… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up tragic memories." Chuck said, bowing down.  
"It's not a problem, Chuck." I said.  
"Do you like your hair color?" Chuck asked.  
"That's an odd question to ask, but to answer your question, I do like it. It makes me feel unique."  
"The only unique thing about me is my behavior…" Chuck admitted.  
"I don't think having the mindset of an adult is bad, as long as it doesn't corrupt you." I said, smiling.  
As soon as I made friends with Chuck, Scout came up and surprised me. "Hey Dill, I see you're making new friends."  
"Geez, Scout… Don't surprise me like that." I complained.  
"Oh, don't be such a buzzkill." Scout said, punching my arm.  
"I see you already know Scout." Chuck said, looking at me.  
"We met a few summers back, she's my girlfriend believe it or not." I admitted.  
"Dill, did you have to say that?!" Scout blushed.  
"If we don't say anything, Jem will." I said, smiling.  
"Fair point, but at least tell me before you decide to tell someone." Scout sighed.  
"You got yourself a boyfriend, Scout? I'm surprised." Chuck admitted.  
"He was the one to propose to me when I was seven, and he was eight." Scout admitted.  
"Did you have to admit that?" I asked, blushing.  
"Paybacks a bitch, Dill." She teased.  
"She's right, you know." Chuck said.  
"I was pretty coy with her back then, didn't think it would pay off." I admitted.  
"Well, I can definitely tell that you two are very serious, so happy lives to the both of you." Chuck said, smiling lightly.  
"Thanks Chuck." I said, and I went back to my desk.

Once school had ended, me, Scout, and Jem all walked home, passing houses along the way.  
"Did you make any new friends, Dill?" Jem asked.  
"I talked to Chuck for a little, he was pretty nice." I admitted.  
"Little Chuck…? I don't think I've ever seen him with his friends, he always kept to himself…" Jem stated.  
"Really? When I talked to him, he didn't seem that closed off, a little quiet, but definitely not hard to approach." I said, confused.  
"Maybe he's just lonely…" Jem stated.  
"Now that I think about it, he never really smiled much either, until today at least." Scout said.  
"Seriously, have you never tried talking to him?" I asked.  
"Never really thought about it till now, sorry." Scout said, feeling bad.  
"Maybe we should invite him over for dinner." I suggested.  
"That's not a bad idea, Dill." Jem admitted.  
"Let's invite him over tomorrow, then." I said, smiling.  
"We have to ask Atticus first, but I think we all know what his answer will be." Scout stated.  
"You got that right!" Jem said, with confidence.  
We all laughed as we walked home, and I began think about what tomorrow would bring.


	16. Dinner With Chuck

"Hey Chuck, do you want to come over and have dinner at Atticus' house? He's already alright with it, you just have to accept or decline." I say, smiling.  
Chuck looked at me, and smiled, "Sure… I haven't eaten anything in a few days."  
"Why?" I asked, worried.  
"My family and I are poor, we don't even know when our next meal is." Chuck explained.  
"Oh… I'm sorry." I said, feeling sorry for him.  
"No harm no foul." Chuck responded.  
I then start wondering if he had any friends, because no matter how I looked at him, he looked pretty alone, but I decided to hold off on asking him, because I didn't want to offend him.  
Scout noticed us talking, and she came up and said, "Hey Little Chuck, so you coming over for dinner at my house?"  
Chuck looked down; I could tell that he doesn't like being called Little Chuck, so I whispered to Scout, "Just call him Chuck, I don't think he likes being call that."  
Scout looked at Chuck, and her face told me that she realized this, and she said, "Sorry Chuck, I didn't consider that you probably didn't like be called that, I won't call you that no more."  
Chuck looked up and said, "No need to fret, but thanks for your concern, Scout. I'll gladly join you, Jem, and Dill."  
Scout smiled and said, "Alright, then it's a plan."  
We all agreed to this, and we went to back to our desks, and waited for school to be over.  
Once school was over, we all saw Jem waiting for us.  
"So, is Chuck coming over for dinner?" Jem asked.  
"Indeed I am." Chuck answered.  
"Great, then let's go." Jem we were walking home, Chuck asked, "What's it like being able to come home with food on the table?"  
Jem thought about what to say; he really didn't want to be rude. "It's nice."  
"I don't really know what it's like, but whenever my family does get food on the table, I'm grateful for what we got." Chuck admitted.  
"Chuck, you're one of the most patient human being on the planet." Scout said.  
Chuck laughed, and responded, "Thank you Scout, but I assure you, I'm not the most patient human being on the planet… don't you remember Burris?"  
"Yeah... you threatened that, you would soon kill him, then see him, and you had your hand in your pocket, like you were reaching for a knife." Scout answered.  
"I was only bluffing, I knew that Burris would run away if I made it seem like I had a weapon." Chuck admitted.  
"Then you're a damn good actor." Scout admitted.  
"Why thank you." Chuck bowed and smiled.  
"Chuck, did your parents teach you manners or are you self-taught?" I asked.  
"A little bit of both. My parents taught me manners, and I practiced them to the point where I don't need to be reminded." Chuck answered.  
"Well it payed off." I responded.  
Chuck laughed, and we could see that he enjoyed our company, which was good.

When we got back to Atticus' Chuck sat down, and waited patiently for the food to arrive.  
"I'm Atticus Finch, it's a pleasure to meet you Charles." Atticus said, shaking his hand.  
"It's nice to meet you to, Mr. Finch. You can just call me, Chuck." Chuck said, shaking his hand.  
"You have good manners, Chuck… Your parents must be proud." Atticus said.  
"They are, but they also tell me that I should have fun like a kid, but I never really thought about it too much." Chuck admitted.  
"Well, if you stick around us long enough, then you're bound to have a hell of a time." I said, smiling.  
"Oh really…? Then I think that I'll spend some time with you after school more often." Chuck said, smiling.  
"Feel free to come over whenever you want, Chuck." Atticus offered.  
"Thank you, Mr. Finch." Chuck said.  
"Just Atticus is fine." Atticus said, kindly.  
When we all got our food, Chuck put the towel in his lap, and ate one piece at a time; it was actually kind of bizarre on how much manners this kid had. I then notice that he had a crumb on his face, and I say, "Chuck, you have something under your lip."  
Chuck blushed, and grabbed his towel to wipe it off.  
"Is it gone?" He asked.  
"Yeah." I answer.  
Chuck sighed in relief, and Scout said, "It ain't a big deal, Chuck, no need to be overdramatic."  
Chuck chuckled lightly, and we just hope that he wasn't too embarrassed.  
"Hey Dill, don't you stay at your Aunt's?" Chuck asked.  
"I stayed with her during the summer, but since I'm going to be living her now, she didn't think she could raise me properly, so I'm staying at Atticus' till then." I  
answered.  
"What do you mean?" Chuck asked.  
I told him about how I was neglected by my folks, and how Sam was reorganizing evidence for the trial, and that he would busy for a while.  
"I apologize for what you been through, Dill." Chuck said, sadly.  
"Don't worry about it. I had Scout, Jem, Atticus, Aunt Rachel, and Sam to keep me company. They sent me letters whenever they could, right guys?" I asked, looking at everyone.  
They all nodded, and Chuck looked down and said, "It's good to see that you have such good friends."  
We all heard this, and we all put our dishes in the sink, and before Chuck could leave, I asked, "Are you lonely, Chuck?"  
"Why do you ask?" He responded.  
"When I saw you, you looked lonely, that's why I approached you, I wanted you to have a friend, because I've been there before." I answered.  
"Yeah I was. I mean, I have my parents, but as far as friends go, people didn't bother tryin' to get to know me. I guess it's because I'm too much of a gentleman." Chuck said, looking down.  
"You're really not that hard to approach, Chuck." I admitted.  
"Thank you, Dill." Chuck said, smiling.  
Scout and Jem them came in, and patted his back.  
"Well Chuck, you can consider us your friends now." Jem said, smiling.  
"If you need any help, just let us know." Scout smiled, and ruffled his hair.  
"Hey, go easy." Chuck said, laughing.  
We all laughed with him, and Chuck seemed to be more happy than normal.  
"Thank you for having me over for dinner." Chuck said, bowing.  
"See you next Monday?" I asked, smiling.  
"You can count on it." Chuck answered.  
We all saw him walk down the neighborhood, and I felt happy to have him as a friend.  
"You're such a nice guy, Dill." Scout said.  
Jem then looked at Atticus, and asked him, "Why don't we measure Scout and Dill?"  
Atticus looked at Jem; he seemed curious about our height as well, so he got a ruler, and he had us both stand to the back of a wall.  
"Looks like Dill is an inch taller than Scout now." Atticus said, smiling.  
"Well would you look at that, you did grow taller than her." Jem said, jokingly.  
"Jem, shut up…" Scout said, frustrated.  
"Sorry Scout." I said.  
"Its fine, I'm actually glad you're a little taller than me, just don't go growin' too fast." Scout said, smiling.  
"I bet you we'll be close to the same height, by the time were full grown." I said, smiling back.  
"Okay lovebirds, save it for later!" Jem joked.  
Atticus cleared his throat, and me and Scout just blushed like a ripe tomato.  
"What is he talking about, Atticus?" Scout asked.  
Atticus adjusted his glasses, and responded, "Wait till you're both in 7th grade, then I'll tell you."


	17. All At Once I Love Her

I was sitting right next to Jem in his room; I wanted to ask him for advice, and I thought he would be the best one to see for what I had in mind.  
"Jem, if you had a girlfriend, where would you take her?" I asked.  
"You want to take Scout somewhere on a date, don't you?" Jem asked.  
I nodded, and he just smiled. "About damn time you took her on a date."  
"Are you gonna answer my question?" I asked.  
"Probably a picnic down by the Eddy." Jem answered.  
"What would I say to her?" I asked.  
Jem looked at me serious, and decided to frank with me. "Look Dill, I know you and my sister really care for each other, and I'm glad that it's you that she likes, but just because I'm her brother that doesn't mean I can you dating advice. I mean, it's not like I have a girlfriend."  
"Then who should I talk to?" I asked.  
"Atticus, can you get in here?!" Jem called.  
I looked at him confused, but he just said, "You'll thank me later…"  
Atticus came in, and asked, "What is it, Jem?"  
"Dill needs some advice." Jem answered.  
"Jem, you stay where you are…" Jem listened, and didn't move from his spot.  
"Now, what is it you need, Dill?" Atticus asked, gently.  
"I want to take Scout somewhere nice, and Jem said that a picnic down by the Eddy would be a good spot, but I don't know what to say." I answered, vaguely  
"You want dating advice, is that it?" I nodded, and Atticus gave me a warm smile. "Just be yourself, complement her, and be honest with her." Atticus answered.  
"That sounds easy." I said, acting confident.  
"What shouldn't I do?" I asked.  
"Don't be rude or forceful." Atticus answered.  
"Okay, I think I'll try asking her now." I said, standing up.  
"Alright… I'll have Calpurnia prepare a meal for you." Atticus said, placing his hand on gently on my shoulder, which gave me confidence.  
"Good luck." Jem said, giving me a thumbs up.  
I knocked on Scout's door, and entered when she told me to come in.  
"What is it, Dill?" Scout asked.  
"I was wondering if you wanted to go on date with me." I answered.  
"Where to?"  
"Just a picnic by the Eddy." I answered.  
She looked like she was thinking about for a while, but quickly said, "Sure."  
"Great, you don't have to wear a dress or anything like that, what you're wearing now is fine." I said, excited.  
"Good, because I was going to wear this whether you liked it or not." Scout responded, smiling.  
"Alright… I'm ready to go whenever you are." I say, reaching my hand out.  
"The let's go." Scout took my hand, and we both walked out of her room. I grab the basket that Calpurnia made for our picnic, and we set off.

We walked down towards the Eddy hand in hand, and I'm not gonna lie, I kinda wished I held hands with her first, before I kissed her when we were kids, but what are you gonna do? We both were soon by the Eddy, and we set up the carpet by a field of camellia flowers.  
"Let's see what Calpurnia made for us." I said, opening the box; it was filled with baked biscuits and fruits.  
"She never fails to make good food." Scout complemented.  
We grabbed some food, and we decided to talk about our future.  
"So Dill, you asked me to marry you when I was seven, do you still want to?" Scout asked, smiling.  
I already knew my answer: "Of course I do, but let's wait till we're in high school, then I can ask you properly." I answered, winking at her.  
"Of course, but how would you go about it?" Scout asked, with a curious look.  
I start thinking about how it would it go, and it was clear as day to me. "Well, first I would buy you a blue diamond ring, then I would would take you where we are, and I would get down on one me and ask, "Will you marry me?"  
Scout just laughed, and says, "That's one hell of an imagination you got there, Dill!"  
I blushed, and responded: "I'm serious, Scout!"  
She stops laughing, and says: "I know, Dill… I was just messing with you."  
I cross my arms, and pretended to look annoyed.  
"Don't be like that, Dill… What if I told you that I know how I would be if that happened?" Scout asked, smiling.  
I uncross my arms, smile, and say: "Go on…"  
"I would be excited because I waited on you, then I would have you put the ring on my finger, and I would then run up and hug you, but I wouldn't kiss you, I would save it for the wedding." Scout said, trying to act it out.  
"Do you want to know how the wedding would be?" I asked, putting my arm around her.  
"Sure…" She answered.  
"It would be on a sweet Sunday, we would get married in a church, you would have on a white dress, and you would hate it. I would have on a tux and a tie, and I would only be a little a taller than you, but we'd still be close in height, and I would be waiting for when you change your name to Jean Louise Harris, but I would still call you Scout, because I prefer to call you that instead of your real name, it's just too long." I say, thinking up a scenario.  
"Charles Baker Harris…" Scout teased.  
I look down, and I said, "I don't go by that name, you know that…"  
"I know… I think it's a nice idea, Dill, but how do you know it's going to be like that?" Scout asks, as she leans on my shoulder.  
"Because I'm going to make sure that it happens that way." I answered, looking at the sky.  
Scout then gets off my shoulder, and she asks: "What do you want be when you grow up, Dill?"  
I thought about it carefully; I remember saying that I wanted to be a clown, but that wasn't really me.  
"I want to be an actor."  
Scout laughs, and I asked what was so funny, and she answered, "Nothing, it's just that fits you very well."  
"What about you?" I asked.  
"I don't know... Jem's going to be lawyer, so that's out the window." Scout answered.  
"Well, we still got our whole childhood ahead of us, so you don't have to answer just yet." I say, holding her hand.  
Scout looked up at the sky, and said: "It's funny how we got to this point when you think about it."  
"Yeah…" I said, lying down.  
"It all started with us meeting by our treehouse, and although we scarcely talked, scarcely met, I wanted to be your friend, but all at once... I found myself falling in love you." Scout said, reminiscing about how we first met.  
"Although I never said it, I always did like your eyes." I say, looking at her.  
"And I always thought you were wise and clever." She says, looking at me.  
"And then I kissed you goodnight, and then I wondered where my heart would go, then all at once I knew…" I say, getting closer to her.  
"Look at us acting like total lovebirds, it's enough to make people sick." Scout joked.  
"Just let them say what they want, and if they try to make crack, just pretend you don't care." I suggested.  
"I'll try, but don't expect that to happen." Scout remarked.  
"It's just a suggestion…" I responded.  
"I know... Dill, you've gotten pretty close." Scout blushed.  
"Sorry…" I said, as I back away.  
"Don't be…" Scout then kissed me, and smiled.  
All at once, I knew where my heart was going. All at once, I loved her forevermore. And to this day... we are still true to each others hearts.


	18. Jem's Honesty

The more I thought about it, the more I wondered why Jem was so accepting of my relationship with Scout. I knew why Atticus accepted it, but Jem was a blank for me. If anything, I would expect him to be suspicious of me, but so far, he had been okay with it. Eventually, curiosity got over my head, and I decided to talk about it with him. I went inside Jem's room, and I saw that he was reading a sports catalog; he still was an avid football fan, but he was much too skinny to actually join the team; he did gain some weight and muscle, and he was still an avid football fan, but I think he decided to focus on his studies for becoming a lawyer, instead of being a part of the football team.  
"What do you want to talk about, Dill?" Jem asked, not putting his catalog down, which made me worry a little.  
"I wanted to ask why you are so accepting of me and Scout in a relationship." I answered.  
Jem put his catalog down, and got his football that I gave him for Christmas.  
"Let's go outside and pass the football around." Jem said, confusing me.  
"Are you trying to avoid my question?" I asked.  
"No…" Jem answered, smiling at me. "We just haven't played together in a while, and I thought it would be nice play with you again, like when we were kids."  
Jem was right; we hadn't played in a long time. I took a look at him, and I saw that he genuinely wanted to spend time with me.  
I smiled and I followed him outside.  
"So, can you ask the question again?" Jem asked, passing me the ball.  
"Why are you so accepting of me being in a relationship with Scout?" I asked, passing the pall; which Jem caught.  
"Because I know I can trust you." Jem answered.  
"Be honest with me, Jem. I don't want to ruin our friendship."  
Jem passed me the football, and I waited until he said something before passed it back.  
"To be honest, Dill… I didn't trust you at first." Jem answered.  
"Why?" I asked, passing the ball.  
"Because of how coy you were." Jem answered, catching the ball.  
"What made you change your mind?" I asked, waiting for him to pass the ball.  
Jem passed me the ball, and answered: "I guess when you ran away from Meridian two years ago."  
I caught the ball, and I asked, "How come?"  
"I knew you had your reasons at the time, but I was still in my hardass phase so it probably didn't seem like it." Jem answered, waiting for me to pass the ball.  
"You really did hurt Scout." I said, holding the ball.  
"I know, and I wish I didn't… I guess when Scout and I were almost killed by Ewell, I realized how much she meant to me." Jem admitted.  
I passed the ball, and I said, "So that's when you started changing your attitude."  
Jem caught the ball and responded, "That's right."  
"What made you believe that I had my reasons?"  
Jem looked down, and then straight at me: "I overheard the reason why you ran away, and I started thinking that maybe I should be less hard on you, but I still didn't fully trust you."  
Jem passed me the ball, and I asked, "When did you start fully trustin' me?"  
"It was actually pretty gradual, but I would say sometime after Ewell tried to kill Scout and me." Jem answered.  
"Can you tell me what you were thinking?" I asked, passing the ball.  
"Sure." Jem answered catching it.

Jem lead me to the bench on their porch, and he gestured me to sit down.  
I did what he wanted me to do, and he started explaining what he was thinking: "I was thinking about you what you were doing one day, and I started remembering how you flirted with Scout, and I got a little furious. So, I lied down on my bed so I could calm down, and I started thinking about all the fun times we had together, and I realized that those times were the most fun I've ever had, and I wouldn't want to replace them for anything…"  
A tear started forming in my eye, but I quickly wiped it away and continued listening to him.  
"I started thinking about what if you and Scout were to get married, and all I could do was smile. I was confused at first, why was I smiling at the thought of you and Scout getting married? Then more memories of what we all did together start forming in my head, like acting out Dracula and other stories, you daring me to touch Boo Radley's house, pretendin' to act out Boo Radley's life story and gettin' caught by Atticus, trying to see what Boo Radley looked like by sneaking onto his property, only then to be caught by someone we didn't see, and gettin' my britches caught on the fence tryin' to run away, and how you told a bold faced lie to Atticus and Rachel by saying we were playing strip poker, and that you offered to give some of your own, but I declined because I knew they wouldn't fit me, and then I realized something…"  
"What?" I asked.  
"That if you were to marry Scout, then you would be like brother to me, and that just made me happy because… you were always like a little brother to me, Dill." Jem answered, softly.  
Tears started forming in my eyes, and I tried to wipe them away, but they wouldn't stop coming. Then I just hugged Jem tightly like he was my older brother, and I tell him, "I would also like it if you were my older brother, Jem…"  
Jem smiled gently and said, "Just keep your promise with Scout, and we will be…"  
I smiled at him, and I rushed towards his football, and I start running off with it.  
"Come on Jem, let's play some more catch!" I yell, excitedly.  
"Alright, but no tackle football. I don't want to kill you!" Jem said, and we ran to the backyard.  
"Sounds good to me!" I shout, as I passed the ball to him.  
It would be years later until I realized that Scout, Atticus, and Sam were listening to our conversation and we didn't know it, but if we did, we would've let them hear the entire conversation anyway. Because they were family, and that's all that matters.


	19. Sam's Interrogation

Months went by, and summer was now here; normally I would get on a train and arrive here, but since I live here now, it's not necessary for me to get on a train. However, I have not seen Sam for a while, and I was starting to worry about him. So, I went to my Aunt Rachel's house to check on him.  
"Dill? What are you doing here?" Aunt Rachel asked.  
"I'm here to check on, Sam, is he here?"  
"Sam is at the court office, but he doesn't want you there." Aunt Rachel answered.  
"Why?" I asked.  
"He told me that if you saw him now, he would be like a completely different person." Aunt Rachel answered.  
"But I've seen his serious side, multiple times." I rebutted.  
"I told him that too, but he told me that is barely scratching the surface on how serious he could be." Aunt Rachel stated, looking worried.  
Realizing that this trip was for nothing, and that he probably wouldn't come back, I just headed back home.

"I'm home…" I announced.  
Atticus saw me come in, and noticed I was down. He put down his newspaper, and came up to me and asked, "What's wrong, son?"  
"I'm worried about Sam, I haven't seen him in months." I answered, honestly.  
"Sam, is doing this because he wants to help you." Atticus stated, gently.  
"I know that, but if he's overworking himself, I at least want him to sleep." I admitted.  
"I'll ask him to take the day off tomorrow, to be honest, I also think he's overworking himself, and he needs to be in tip top shape." Atticus said, smiling gently.  
"That would be great…" I said, smiling a little.  
Atticus started heading towards the door, and I asked where he was going.  
"I need to tell him, don't I? Don't leave the house tonight, Dill…" Atticus said, walking out the door.  
I was confused. Why did he want me to not leave the house tonight? I decided to just listen to him, and I headed towards my room.

It was night time now, and I couldn't sleep. Atticus hadn't come back yet, and I was starting to get worried, so I decided to disobey Atticus; he had been gone for too long. I got dressed, and I headed for the door, but I wasn't alone.  
"What are you doing, Dill?" Jem asked.  
"I'm heading to the courthouse." I answered.  
"Why?" Jem asked, not surprised.  
"Atticus has been gone for too long, and I'm worried about Sam." I answered.  
Scout then came up, and she didn't bother asking what was going on. In fact, her expression pretty much said, "Here we go again…"  
"To be honest, I was also about to head to the courthouse." Jem smiled, and place his hand on my shoulder.  
"Are you coming as well, Scout?" I asked.  
"Of course…" Scout answered.  
"Thank you guys…" I said, smiling.  
"No problem, bro." Jem said, smiling.  
So we all headed to the courthouse in downtown Maycomb, and we saw that it was still open. So we snuck inside, and we looked around the area, and we found that no one was here.  
"Where are they?" Scout asked.  
"Probably at the detention center." Jem answered.  
"Let's go there next." I said, quietly.  
We all agreed, and we headed to the detention center, and we saw that the door was cracked open. We took a peek through the crack, and we saw Atticus and Sam with  
my stepdad; Atticus seemed calm, while Sam was furious.  
"Alright Cinderfella, the clock just turned twelve, and I don't want to have to turn you into a pumpkin. So, if you're smart, then you'll admit that you did neglect your stepson, and we can just have him stay here, and you don't have to be worried about him because you and your wife will be up north, with no proof that you have a son." Sam said, with a serious look.  
"You're bluffin', a lawyer wouldn't hurt someone!" My Stepdad claimed.  
"He's in fer it." Jem said, quietly.  
Sam got close to his face, and he said with a very deep voice, "You want to try me?"  
Atticus saw something that I didn't, and he said, "I'll try, Samuel."  
"Go ahead…" Sam said, letting Atticus have at it.  
"Mr. Alexander, if you and Ms. Elise don't want to take care of a child, then just give him to me, he's suffered enough already, can't you at least do one thing for him?" Atticus tried guilt-tripping him, but the old bastard didn't give a rats ass about me.  
"Why should I care what he does, he isn't my responsibility!" Stepdad shouted.  
"That bastard…" Scout whispered, furious.  
"Bastard deserves to stay in jail for the rest of his life." Jem said, showing his anger.  
"Or burn in hell." I added, bitterly.  
"You goddamn asshole! You don't deserve to be living!" Sam shouted.  
"What are you going to do?" Stepdad asked, sarcastically. "Kill me?"  
"It's tempting…" Sam answered, threateningly.  
My Stepdad began laughing like a maniac. It seemed that he thought that Sam was trying to scare him and nothing more, but we all knew that Sam was most likely capable of doing him in, without even batting an eye.  
"You don't think I could do it?" Sam asked.  
"Of course not…" He answered. "All lawyers are spineless wimps!"  
Sam had a surge of anger in his eyes, but then he gave off a unsettling smile; it actually scared me a little.  
"I never seen Sam smile like that before…" I whispered.  
"Keep quiet, Dill…" Jem ordered. "Things are about to get interesting"  
Sam grabbed his chair, and placed it right in front of Stepdad's seat.  
"Alexander, if you really think like that..." Sam said, monotone. "Then you really are a brainless piece of shit…"  
Stepdad didn't give a response, he probably thought that Sam wasn't being serious.  
"But you know what?" Sam continued. "It doesn't matter if you're smart, dumb, ugly, pretty... It's all the same once you're dead! And a corpse can't laugh."  
My Stepdad was finally seeing that Sam wasn't playing around; he actually looked like he was about to pass out, and I am not going to lie; I was enjoying watching him suffer.  
"You're not worth a bullet or a knife…" Sam said, coldly. "Your wife already pleaded guilty, just make it easy on yourself and plead guilty. You can't win, Alexander, but if you plead guilty, and give up your custody of Dill, then we might consider shortening you and your wife's sentence from five years to three years. Does that not sound like a good deal?"  
"Go to hell…" Stepdad said, darkly.  
"I tried to make things easy, but if you want to things the hard way…" Sam said, firmly. "Then I'll see you in court, asshole!"  
Sam then grabbed my Stepdad by the collar, and he literally threw him back in his jail cell.  
"You can come out, kids." Atticus called out.  
We all were shocked that he saw us, but since he found us out, we had no choice to but to listen.  
When Sam saw us, he started looking horrified.  
"Dill?! You saw everything didn't you?" Sam asked, sadly.  
"I did…" I answered, calmly  
"Please, forgive me…" Sam said, pleading.  
"For what?" I asked.  
"For using inhumane methods to getting my verdict! I did it to protect you!" Sam answered, feeling guilt.  
"Don't be…" I said, smiling.  
"Dill…" Sam said, straightening up.  
"I was shocked at first, but that was first time I saw my Stepdad in fear, and it was quite enjoyable to see that bastard quiver." I admitted.  
"I agree…" Scout chimed in.  
"Same…" Jem admitted.  
"Although I'm not a fan of the method you used, this is one case where I thought that it would be necessary." Atticus admitted.  
"I guess we all have a sick sense of humor." Sam said, smiling.  
"Sam, please get some rest." I pleaded.  
Sam looked horrible, he was clearly tired and hungry, but he also looked like he hadn't sleep in a month.  
"Alright… I'll just spend the rest of tomorrow sleeping." Sam said, ruffling my hair.  
"Sounds like a plan." I said, smiling.  
We all headed home after that, and we all just fell asleep as soon as we got on our beds; we really had one odd day.


	20. All Kinds of People

Days went by, and life slowly went back to normal. Well, as normal it could get; Sam clearly didn't want to see his violent side, but it really didn't bother me because that man deserved it. I decided to talk to Atticus about this as he always seemed to have the right answer. I found Atticus reading the newspaper and drinking his coffee sitting on the front porch swing; he knew I was in front of him, so he put down his newspaper and asked, "How can I help you, Dill?"  
I sat down on the porch swing right next to him, and responded: "Why is Sam still beating his brains out about what happened weeks ago? It's not like him…"  
Atticus readjusted his glasses, and answered with a firm voice. "Because he's trying to save your innocence… He believes that if you were to see his violent side, then you'll lose whatever remaining innocence you have."  
"Does he really think I'm that weak?!" I questioned, furious.  
I couldn't believe that Sam thought I was that weak, and the tone of my voice made that as clear as the blue sky.  
Atticus looked at me calmly, and responded with a gentle voice. "It's not that he thinks you're weak, it's just that he wants to spend your time having fun here, instead of worrying about the trial."  
I took my time calming down, and I responded: "If he had told me that, then I wouldn't have worried about him." I sighed. "I don't understand you adults, if you just explain things to us sooner, then we wouldn't have questions or worries."  
Atticus smiled a little, and responded: "I agree, but in Sam's case… he just didn't think that far ahead."  
I laughed at the small joke he made. Atticus didn't make the best jokes, but he did make a few good cracks every now and then.  
"How come Sam was so violent on my Stepdad?" I asked.  
"He just really despised those kind of people." Atticus answered.  
"Does he hate anybody else?" I asked.  
"Dill, you must understand that it takes all kinds of people to make up the world." Atticus answered.  
"What does that mean?" I asked.  
Atticus started looking out at the neighborhood, and gave examples of the Maycomb townsfolk. "Take the Cunningham family for example, they may seem unimportant because of their social status, but if you delve deeper into their situation, then you would realize that even if you offered them money, they wouldn't take it even though need more than others, and that is because they wouldn't be able to pay it back, and that's just the way they are. But you also must think about people like the Jacobs family, who are racist people and think that they're superior to Negroes, even though they're not. And even if you don't like them because of their repulsive beliefs, you must realize that there are some people who find their beliefs interesting. You can never truly guess what goes on in people's heads, but instead of beating your brains out over it, try thinking about it from their perspective instead."  
I gave myself a minute to comprehend Atticus' explanation, and once I started understanding it, I say to him: "So, it takes all kinds of people and things to crawl on the earth, swim in the sea, and to fly through the sky on wings, right?"  
Atticus looked at me affirmingly, and I told him my hunch. "If that's the case, then it doesn't matter whether you like them or whether you don't, because you're stuck with the whole damn bunch either way."  
"That's right, Dill... Now why do you think Sam didn't want you to see that interrogation?" Atticus asked.  
"Because it would've hurt my innocence, and he wanted to be around people I liked, instead of people I disliked." I answered.  
"Exactly." Atticus stated, smiling.  
"Thanks Atticus. I think I'm going to go talk to him, now." I said, getting off of the porch swing.  
"Sam should be at Ms. Rachel's right now… According to her, he has done nothing but eat, bathe, and sleep for the past few days." Atticus said, while cleaning his glasses.  
"At least he's getting some rest." I stated, as I left the front porch, and headed towards my Aunt Rachel's house.


	21. The Man I Used to Be

"Come in, Dill." Sam said, as I knocked on his door, somehow knowing it was me.  
I entered his room, and asked, "How did you know it was me?"  
"It was just a hunch." Sam answered.  
I sighed, and responded: "That is just like you…"  
"Look Dill, I'm sorry that you saw my insane side, I didn't want you to see me as a crazy, sadistic maniac." Sam explained, looking at me sympathetically.  
I sat down on a nearby chair, and I told him: "Look, I don't care how you interrogated him, but I understand that you didn't want me to be around you or my folks now, and I'm glad that you cared that much, but you should've told me how you were going to interrogate my folks, and your reasons for doing it like that, then we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."  
Sam slapped himself in the head, and said to himself: "Good job, Samuel! You're officially a dunce!"  
We both laughed this off, and I say to him: "Good to see you're still the same person I met on that train…"  
Sam looked at me, and stated, "If you knew me before, you wouldn't be saying that…"  
"What would I be saying?" I asked, confused.  
"You would be saying that I changed a lot, that I'm not myself, and that if this is myself, I'm not the man I was." Sam answered, bluntly.  
"And why's that?" I asked, out of curiosity.  
"Because the man I used to be, was a happy man about as aimless as a leaf and gale, and I thought I had the world by the tail." Sam answered, freely.  
"What happened to that lighthearted bum?" I joked.  
Sam shrugged his shoulders, and continued. "Back then, my life was gay and free, and aimless as a cloud in the sky… And I also I thought knew the game that along came a dame…"  
"Who turned you into some other guy?" I asked, while laughing a little at his joke.  
"Kids that didn't live the same life I had, gave me ambition... It gave me a mission to help out kids who weren't living happy lives." Sam answered, with a serious tone.  
"Did you plan the reach the top of tree?" I asked, concerned.  
"No, but that other fly-by-night who was so high by night had vanished like sail on the sea, and I'm telling right now... you'll never find that easy-living, easy-taking, easy-giving fellow that used to me." Sam stated confidently.  
"How late would you stay up?" I asked, out of curiosity.  
"I would go to sleep at 3, or 4 am, or 7, or 9, and when my weary head wasn't near any bed, a table or a chair would be fine." Sam answered, nonchalantly.  
"I bet your dad didn't like that." I joked.  
"No he didn't, but he couldn't stop me... Believe me, he tried like 100 times, before I finally changed myself." Sam stated, while being embarrassed with himself.  
"Was he glad to see that you changed yourself?" I asked.  
"He was, my friends weren't…" Sam answered.  
"Wow…"  
"Yeah… I was man without a goal, but I was friendly soul who liked to play the role of a host to any thirsty pal, and a casual gal." Sam stated, rhyming.  
"Are you rhyming on purpose?" I asked, just now noticing it.  
"Yes I am…" Sam answered, not giving a damn.  
"Anyway, I was a ne'er-do-well, who wouldn't dare do well…"  
"Thus you never saw the top of the tree." I joked.  
"That wasn't my goal to begin with!" Sam retorted.  
"I gotta admit though, I was kinda sad to see the cad I was, dissolving like a sail on the sea."  
"So you're saying that I'll never find that fatalistic, free-and-easy, egotistic optimist that used to be you, right?" I asked, bluntly.  
"Yup… You'll never find the man I used to be…" Sam answered, bluntly.  
"Well, the man you used to be sounds uninteresting anyway…" I say, smiling.  
"Yeah… he was kind of too carefree for his own good." Sam admitted, smiling back.  
We both laughed for a little, but then Aunt Rachel came in with a letter from the courthouse.  
"What is it, Rachel?" Sam asked, concerned.  
"This will explain everything… it's about Dill's mother." Aunt Rachel answered.  
"My mother?!" I shouted.  
Sam opened the letter, and he kept a neutral look on his face.  
"Don't leave me in the dark, Sam!" I yelled.  
"Dill… I've got good news, and bad news…" Sam explained, keeping his neutral expression.  
"Give me the good news first." I told him. I wanted to hear to some good news about this case.  
"Good news is that you're mother pleaded guilty, and she's now spending five years in jail." Sam said.  
I was happy for a brief moment, but then I remembered that there was bad news.  
"What's the bad news? I asked.  
Sam looked at me, and responded: "The bad news is that the trial was moved to tomorrow, and that you're going to try and prove you're lying, which means you need  
to testify as well."  
I was surprised; I had to testify for my own defense. "This is ridiculous!" I shouted.  
Sam placed his hands on my shoulders, and said, "Calm down, Dill! This just complicates things, but it's still a cut and dry case. Personally, I would have preferred if you  
didn't have to testify for yourself, but you do, and when you get up there…"  
"I'll tell them the truth…" I finished his sentence for him.  
"Exactly…" Sam said, pounding his fist in his hand.  
"Now, as far as evidence goes, we have your letters, my testimony, your hat that your father gave you, and his last will and testament."  
"Wait… my hat?" I had forgotten that when I was struck, I was wearing my hat.  
"Yeah… There was some small amount of blood on it, don't worry, I washed it off, but that was after I confirmed it as evidence, and proved that it was relevant to the case." Sam answered, clearly.  
"So, it's practically guaranteed than?" I asked, hopeful.  
"Yeah, as long as the jury isn't stupid." Sam answered.  
"What are you going to do to win them over?" I asked.  
"Be honest with them, and hope that my speech will be enough for the jury and the prosecutor to find your stepdad guilty." Sam answered.  
"Atticus tried that with Tom, but it didn't work…" I stated, sadly.  
"I know, but I'm going to tell them what I saw when kids like you don't get a proper home… If they get their morality straight, then we are pretty much golden." Sam  
declared, looking confident.  
"Good luck, Sam…" Aunt Rachel said, as she shook his hand.  
"Thank you, Rachel." Sam responded.  
"Dill, you get yourself home, and explain everything to Atticus, Scout, and Jem, they'll want to know about this" Aunt Rachel said, with a stern voice.  
I nodded, and I rushed back home to tell them the news.

"I see…" Atticus responded, after I told him, Jem, and Scout about the trial being tomorrow.  
"Can you win?" Scout asked, concerned.  
"As long as the jury is on our side, then we'll win." I said, trying to reassure her.  
"I wouldn't worry, Scout, especially when it comes to Sam, he is about as stubborn as a mule." Jem said, feeling confident.  
"He's right, Scout. This is a real cut and dry case a trial, a trial is almost pointless." Atticus said, readjusting his glasses.  
Scout still looked worried. So I placed my hand on her shoulder, and I tell her: "Worrying will get you nowhere, Scout."  
Scout looked at me, and said, "You better be right about this, Dill Harris, or I'll kick your ass!"  
"Now we have to win…" I joked.  
"Yeah… or she'll get'ya" Jem remarked.  
"You all better get some sleep…" Atticus suggested. "That trial is going to be here before you know it."  
We all did as we were told, and went to bed.  
We had a big day ahead of us tomorrow, and we weren't about to let that be a reason to not sleep; no matter how hard it was to actually do so.


	22. The Trial Begins

It was the day of the trial, and we were all waiting in the main hall of the courthouse. I was nervous, but I tried not to show it; Sam saw right through me.  
"It's okay to be nervous, Dill." Sam said, calmly.  
"Aren't you nervous?" I asked, concerned. This was Sam's first trial, so it would make sense if he was nervous.  
"Not really…" Sam answered.  
"How come?" I asked, confused.  
"It's my first trial as a lawyer, but I've co-counseled for other cases so that helps." Sam answered.  
Judge Taylor came by, and asked if were ready.  
"As ready as we can get…" Sam answered.  
We walked into the courtroom, and all eyes fell upon us; it was really unsettling. But I saw Scout and Jem in the seats up above, and Atticus in the jury. Just seeing them here encouraged me to be brave, and not to fall victim to the jury. We sat down at our tables, and Judge Taylor banged his gavel; which signaled the jury to sit down.  
"Is the prosecution ready?" Judge Taylor asked, looking at the prosecutor, Horace Gilmer.  
"The prosecution is ready." Mr. Gilmer responded.  
"The defense is ready as well, your Honor." Sam said, before Judge Taylor could ask.  
"Straight to the point… I like it." Judge Taylor remarked.  
"Then may the trial of Dill Harris begin…"  
I was confused and scared; why was I being charged?  
"Your Honor, do you mind if I explain to Dill what's going on?" Sam asked.  
"You may." Judge Taylor answered.  
Sam got to my height, and explained what was going on. "Dill, listen to me… While John did say that this is your trial, that only means that I need to defend your claim on being neglected, once the claim has been confirmed, then your Stepfather will be found guilty for neglecting you."  
I calmed down, took a deep breath, and then Sam gave a nod to Judge Taylor to indicated that I was fine now.  
"Alright, Mr. Gilmer, bring out your first witness." Judge Taylor requested, while stroking his beard.  
"Yes, Your honor… The prosecution would like to call the boy's stepfather, Alexander Harris."  
My stepfather came down the hallway, and said that he would tell the truth, and nothing but the truth; he broke that oath as soon he made it.  
"Mr. Alexander, can you testify on when you met your wife, and how you treated Charles?" Mr. Gilmer asked.  
"Yes I can." He answered.  
Sam looked at me sternly; which told me to wait, and to not say anything until it's my turn to testify.  
"I met Elise in Meridian during the summer, Dill was in Maycomb at the time, and was seven years old, and we got married a few months later… We both loved each other, and when I heard that she had a son, I was a happy man." My Stepdad told bigger ones than I did; which is pretty impressive when you think about it.  
"How did you treat, Dill?" Mr. Gilmer asked.  
"I treated him like any father would… I got him anything he wanted, and I always did my best to keep him company, we were even going to build a boat, but we never got around it." He answered. Okay, that was a little true, but it was more like forgot about it; not "never got around to it."  
"Is that all?" Judge Taylor asked.  
"Yes, your honor." Mr. Gilmer answered.  
"Do you have any questions, Mr. Tailor?"  
"I do, your honor." Sam answered, standing up.  
"Alexander, when is your stepson's birthday?"  
"Objection! Your Honor this isn't relevant to the case in any way!" Mr. Gilmer stated.  
"Your Honor if you let me go through my line of questioning, all will be revealed." Sam stated.  
"Alright but this better not be a waste of our time, Mr. Tailor. Objection overruled."  
Sam got close to the center of the courtroom, and he put his hands behind his back so I could see them. "Do I have to ask again, Alexander?"  
My Stepdad answered no, and started trying to remember my birthday. He seemed to fail to do so, and Sam signaled me to get his bag. I did do, and put it on the table; no one seemed to notice.  
"I think its September 18th." Stepdad answered.  
"Not even close…" Sam stated, as he opened his bag, and pulled out the stone he got me for my birthday.  
"Does anyone know what this stone is?" Sam asked.  
No one answered… "Do you Alexander?" He didn't answer.  
"What about you, Mr. Gilmer?"  
Mr. Gilmer took a look at the stone, and responded: "It's and opal stone, but what does that have to with his birthday?"  
"In case you don't know, the opal is the October birthstone, and Dill's birthday falls on October 11th." Sam explained.  
My Stepdad was sweating, and he was now afraid.  
"Now, it would be one thing if it was a friend, but your child… I'm sorry, but what parents forget their child's birthday? A lousy one, that's who!" Sam stated, getting favor from the jury.  
"Order in the court!" Judge Taylor shouted, banging his gavel.  
"But he says that he gives him a lot of nice things, so he must care about him a little." Mr. Gilmer stated.  
"Objection! It doesn't matter if you give your child nice things! If you don't spend time with them, then that stuff is just a way of saying, "Don't bother me, you stupid brat!" Sam stated, strongly.  
"Objection sustained…"  
"Now, does the prosecution have any other witnesses?" Judge Tailor asked.  
"His mother, but she has refused to testify as she has pleaded guilty." Mr. Gilmer answered.  
"Then does the defense have any witnesses?"  
"We have three…" Sam answered.  
Sam gave an apologetic look to me, Atticus, Scout, and Jem.  
"Well, who are they?" Judge Taylor asked.  
"I just want to say, I'm sorry, Dill… They are Scout, Jem, and me personally." Sam answered, as he looked at Atticus with grief stricken eyes.  
"And how are Scout and Jem witnesses to his neglect?" Judge Taylor asked, with a curious tone.  
"Scout and Jem are his friends, and are the main reason he ran away two years ago, and the have been friends since 1933, and they have told me that they have noticed times where Dill seemed sad and lonely." Sam answered.  
"And with permission from Atticus, I would like to have them testify, please…" Sam pleaded.  
Atticus stood up, and responded: "I'll allow it, but only three questions, and Mr. Gilmer will not get to question them."  
"I understand… Thank you, and I'm sorry…" Sam said, bowing down.  
Atticus gave him an understanding and forgiving look, and I did the same.  
"Do we all agree to these terms?" Judge Taylor asked.  
The jury talked about it for a bit, and then someone got up and answered: "Yes, your honor.  
"Then may Scout and Jem Finch take the stand?!" Judge Taylor called out.  
Scout and Jem exited the visitor's area, and came down to the witness chair; they seemed to have been fine, but nervous about being called down.  
Scout and Jem both looked at me, and then mouthed, "We got your back, Dill."


	23. Jem's, Scout's, and Sam's Testimony

Sam grabbed a chair for both of them, and asked, "Who would like to go first?"  
Scout and Jem looked at each other, and nodded. "I'll go, sir." Jem said, taking the stand.  
"Now, I am only allowed three questions, so please answer them to the best of your ability." Sam stated.  
"Yes sir, Mr. Tailor." Jem said.  
Sam paced around the courtroom, and then asked, "When you first met, Dill… did you notice anything about that made him seem lonely?"  
"When Scout and I first met Dill, he told us that he could read, and it sort of went from there… We talked about the Dracula film, and then Scout asked, "Where's your father?" and Dill responded, "I haven't got one." Scout then proceeded to ask if he was dead, and he said, "No." Now, when Scout started mouthing him off, he blushed, and that told me that he didn't really know where his father was, and I told Scout to hush it up…" Jem answered, honestly.  
"It this right, Dill?" Judge Taylor asked.  
"Yes sir." I answered.  
"Jem… was their anything about Dill that made him seem like that he really wanted to be you and Scout's friend?" Sam asked.  
"He always made up the biggest ones any just to impress us, but if we knew that he was making those lies just to make us think that he wasn't boring, then we would have told him that he did a good enough job already, and that he didn't have to lie to impress us." Jem answered, honestly.  
After a minute of thinking, Sam asked his last question for Jem: "Jem… what is Dill to you?"  
Jem looked at me for a few seconds, and then looked at Sam. "Dill is like a little brother to me." Jem answered, not breaking eye contact.  
"Thank you, Jem… You can sit with the jury if you want." Sam offered, and Jem went to sit by Atticus.  
"Scout Finch…" Judge Taylor called.  
Scout got up, and went to the witness chair, and waited for the questions she was going to be asked.  
"Scout, when did you start getting suspicious of what Dill's home life was like?"  
"I didn't really think about it back then, but it was during the time I went to visit Finch's Landing in 1934. I was with my cousin Francis when the topic of Dill came up suddenly, and he told that he didn't have a home, and that he just gets passed around from relative to relative, but I didn't believe him back then…" Scout answered.  
"When did you realize that Dill was being neglected?"  
"Summer of 1935. He ran away from Meridian just so he can see us again… At first, he lied about what happened, but he later told me that his family didn't want him,  
and that they would be better off without him… I believe he said something like, "They do get on a lot better without me, I cannot help them any…"  
Sam looked at Scout in the eye, and asked, "What is Dill to you, Scout?"  
"I-I love him more than anything, Mr. Tailor." Scout answered, boldly.  
"Thank you, Scout…" Sam said, offering his hand.  
"I can help myself up, sir, but thank you." Scout said, as she got up.  
Scout looked at me worried, and then sat down right next to Jem and Atticus.  
"There is only my testimony left, Your Honor…" Sam stated.  
"Go ahead, Mr. Tailor…"  
"It was a week before Scout's birthday, and I sent Dill a letter telling him that, I would be there to see him in three days. A few weeks earlier, he sent me a letter that told me that his folks were getting suspicious of him, because of the watch and hat that his real father gave him, before he passed away, and I told him that it was best to keep quiet, and to let me know when I should come over, and he told me before Scout's birthday, so I decided for it to be a week before her birthday…" Sam told the jury.  
"What did you find when you visited him?" Judge Tailor asked.  
"I saw that nobody was home, and that the door was opened… I was concerned about him, so I went inside, and I found his hat on the ground with a little splotch of blood on it. It wasn't fatal, but I knew that he was somewhere in the house, and that he was hurt. So, I looked around the house, and I found a chained door… I knocked on the door, asking if he was there, and I then I hear him say, "Help me…" I broke down the door, and I nursed him back to health, and I took his folks to Meridian County, and the rest is history." Sam told the jury.  
I nodded my head to confirm his story, and then Judge Taylor looked at Sam, and then he looked at me. I knew what was going to happen next; it was my turn to take the stand.  
"Are you ready, Dill?" Sam asked.  
"As ready as I'll ever be." I answered, as I sat down on the witness chair.


	24. Trial Finale & Aftermath

It was my turn to testify; I made the oath to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, and Sam began to ask me questions.  
"How long has this been going on, Dill?" Sam asked.  
I had no reason to lie; this was for my sake after all. "Since I was just an infant." I answered.  
"Who raised you as an infant?" Sam asked.  
"For the first three years of my life it was some relatives nearby. My mom didn't start seeing more till I was four, and even then, she didn't really care to look after me, and my other relatives only went so far to keep fed, if you wanted somebody that kept me company, the only person that came that close was Aunt Rachel, but even she had her limits."  
"Who do you consider your family?" Sam asked, getting down to my level.  
"Scout, Jem, Atticus, Aunt Rachel, and you…" I answered.  
"After your mother married your stepfather, what did you think was going to happen?"  
"I thought that since I had a father now, I wouldn't be alone anymore… But he ignored me as well, and it got to the point where they forgot I existed. They did give me nice things, but it was like: "You have that toy, go play with it" or "You have that book, go read it." No matter what I did, they just ignored me, or just forgot that I existed. I did my damndest for them to see me, I tried doing chores, making small talk, and even tried telling them a joke, but none of it worked…" I was starting to cry, and Sam just placed his hand on my shoulder.  
"Let it all out, Dill… You can continue whenever you want." Sam said, kindly.  
I wiped away my tears, and I waited for his next question.  
"Dill, why did you reach out Scout and Jem for a hand in friendship?" Sam asked.  
"Aunt Rachel pointed to those two, and she told me to go play with them, and it just went from there." I answered.  
"What did you consider them then, and what do you consider them now?" Sam asked.  
"Back then, I saw Jem as a person who acted more mature than he really was, and that he was a showoff, but now I think of him as a dear friend and he's like a big brother to me. With Scout, I thought she was fun to be coy with, especially since she is a tomboy, but as I grew older, my feelings for her grew more and more, and now I consider her one of the most important people in my life." I answered, blushing a little.  
I think I heard the jury say, "Aww…" Which just made things a lot more awkward.  
"One last question, do or did you wish that you were never born?"  
I did before I met Scout and Jem, but after I met them, I wished I could have been a part of their family." I answered, honestly.  
"That is all I have to say, Your Honor." Sam said, sitting down in his chair.  
"Do you have anything to ask, Mr. Gilmer?" Judge Taylor asked.  
"Just one question…" Mr. Gilmer answered.  
I prepared for his question; he was a jerk to Tom, so I mentally prepared myself for whatever his answer might be.  
"You have lied to others before, how do we know you're not lying now?" Mr. Gilmer asked.  
I was surprised by how straightforward his answer was, but I didn't let that scare me. I looked him in the eye, and said, "I'm not lying."  
There was a brief silence in the courtroom for a good minute; it was actually kind of chilling.  
"That is all…" Mr. Gilmer said, as he went back to his chair.  
"Your Honor, before we have the jury decide the verdict, may I make a closing statement?" Sam asked.  
"You may…" Judge Tailor answered.  
Sam got up from his chair, and walked to the center of the courtroom. "I'm going to be blunt, this a cut and dry case, we wouldn't even be here if both of his folks had pleaded guilty, but no, we had to have this trial so we could figure out if a child was lying about being abused. Let me tell you, if someone is abused, and if they tell someone, what are the chances of them playing a bad joke? Not likely, in fact, I'm almost disgusted that there was even a shred of doubt here in the first place. If you don't get your morals straight, and you end letting that man go free, then there really is no hope, not just for Negroes, but for children as well. Why? Because there are children in this world who are suffering… They don't have a home, a family, food, proper clothes, they have nothing! And what do we do when we see one that desperately needs our help?! We just walk pass them! I didn't realize that there were children suffering until I was twelve, and that was because I finally grew out of my carefree attitude, and I took a look at my surroundings, and what I saw, was a bunch of starving kids working together to get food, it wasn't just a group of white boys… it was a group of white boys and girls working with a group of black boys and girls. I took notice of this, and I gave them food and water with what money I had with me at the time, and I would see them every day just to keep them company. Eventually my father figured out what I was doing, and he funded for the local church to be a shelter for those children in need, and when I told them this, they hugged each other in joy. Here were kids of diverse races celebrating that they were finally going to have a home, and I was happy for them. The pastor of that church took them all in, and here's what one of the kids said to me and him, "To us… it doesn't matter if we're black, white, smart, dumb, ugly, pretty, or even if we we're a boy or a girl, just as long as we survive together as group, then our differences don't matter at all." When I heard this, I knew that there were more children like them, and I knew that no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't help all of them. I'm just one man! But if the whole world got together, and set aside all of their differences for a good cause, then this world would be a better place. So… I implore you to think about what I have said, and consider that if this child is telling the truth, then you can make a difference today, by making the right decision… That is all…"  
Sam sat down, and I noticed that tears were falling from his eyes, and he just let the flow down his cheeks; he didn't care that people saw him crying; he cared for the people who didn't see him cry.  
Mr. Gilmer looked at Judge Taylor, and said, "Your Honor, I don't think we need to discuss the verdict…"  
"You're right, Mr. Gilmer." Judge Taylor then looked at me, and gave me a kindhearted smile.  
"Dill… you're one of the strongest people I know. The jury finds Alexander Harris… Guilty!"  
I was so happy that we won, but I was also incredibly speechless.  
"Alexander, you are going to spend 10 years in prison, and you'll be put on probation once you are released… if you survive that long. "Judge Taylor stated.  
"Dill…" Sam called.  
"Yeah…" I responded.  
"There is one last thing I must do." Sam grabbed an envelope, and he showed me that is was my Dad's last will and testament.  
"He wants me to take care of you, but he wants you to decide where we stay…" Sam explained.  
"Is it possible to live with Atticus, Jem, and Scout?!" I asked, happily.  
"Yes…" Atticus answered.  
"Thank you, Atticus… it's going to be a hell of a tight fit." Sam stated.  
"Can't you build a room for yourself?' I asked.  
"I can just move a bed into Atticus' room… I don't mind sharing a room, it would be like having a college roommate." Sam stated.  
I laughed at this statement, and we exited the courtroom, and I found Scout and Jem waiting outside.  
Scout ran up and hugged me, and Jem just placed his hand on my shoulder.  
"You did great, Samuel…" Jem stated.  
"Jem started getting misty eyed during your speech." Scout joked.  
"So did you." Jem retorted.  
"You guys only got misty eyed?! Shit, I was crying after it was over, and I was the damn speaker!" Sam retorted.  
We all laughed, and we all headed home.  
"Dill, it'll take a while before I can move in, but we should be good by the end of the summer." Sam said, near Aunt Rachel's house.  
"That's fine…" I said, smiling.  
"You just get some rest, Sam." Atticus said, smiling.  
"See you later, Sam." Jem said, as he went inside the house tonight.  
We all headed back inside _our house_ , and we all got ready for bed.

While I was trying to get some sleep, I hear Scout come in, and I rise.  
"Sorry if I woke you, Dill." Scout said, rubbing her eye.  
"It's alright, I was still awake." I said, looking at her.  
"What is it you need?" I asked.  
"You mind if I stay with you tonight?" Scout asked, blushing.  
"Knock yourself out…" I said, smiling.  
"Thanks…" Scout said, as she climbed in.  
"How do you feel?" I asked.  
"Memories of Tom's trial came flooding back… I think I'm going to avoid the courthouse for a while." Scout answered.  
"I understand…" I said, as I lied back down.  
"Dill, I meant what I said on the stand… I just wanted you to know that." Scout said, blushing.  
I turned myself, so that I was facing her, and I tell her: "I meant what I said too, Scout… You are the most important person in my life."  
"I know..." Scout says, as she starts holding my hand.  
"God, this stuff is going to be as corny as Kansas in August by the time we're old folks." I say, smiling.  
"It is a cliche coming true." Scout said, smiling back.  
I just nod, and I kiss her on the forehead. "G'night, Scout…"  
"G'night, Dill…" She responds, as I start drifting off to sleep.  
I then feel her head get closer to my body, and we both soon fall asleep.


	25. Sunday

A week has passed since the trial, and it was now Sunday. I had realized that I haven't been to church in long time, so I decided to ask Calpurnia if she would take me.  
"Yeah, but Scout, Jem, and Samuel have to join us." Calpurnia answered.  
"That's fine with me." Scout said.  
"I'll tag along." Jem said.  
"Cal, can I please wear a blouse instead of dress?" Scout asked.  
"No! You can wear pants under your dress like you usually do." Calpurnia answered.  
"Fine…" Scout said, annoyed.  
Scout went to her room to change, and Jem and I soon followed.  
After we got ready, we went back to the kitchen where we saw Sam and Calpurnia waiting for us.  
"You guys ready?" Sam asked.  
We all nodded, and began our walk to church.

Once we got to church, we took our seat, and I noticed there were no hymnal books.  
"Cal, where are the hymnal books?" I asked.  
"Just wait and see." Calpurnia answered, smiling.  
"It's best if you just see how it's done here." Scout stated, smiling.  
"I'll take your word for it, Scout." I responded, smiling.  
"Looks like Sam is going to help Zeebo with leading." Jem stated.  
I had just now realized that Sam was up there with Zeebo, Calpurnia's eldest son, and I was confused how he got up there without me noticing.  
"Can Sam sing?" Calpurnia asked.  
"Yeah, he sang some songs during the dance last summer." I answered.  
Calpurnia nodded, and Jem told me to hush as the first hymn was about to start. I did what I was told, but I was still wondering how we were supposed to sing without a hymnal. That question was soon answered, as Zeebo began to read the verse for the song we were going to sing, and the congregation repeated it.  
"So that's how…" I whispered to myself.  
Once all the lines were repeated, Sam sang the melody, and the congregation followed; the song that we were singing was, "God Save the King" which I already knew by heart.  
I didn't remember the last time I went to church, so this was an experience for me.  
When Church was over, Sam came up to me and asked, "How was that?"  
"It was an experience." I answered.  
"I'll bet…" Jem stated.

When we got back, I noticed that there was a woman talking to Atticus, but I didn't recognize her.  
"Atticus!" Scout called, happily.  
Atticus just smile and waved, and when we got up to the front porch I realized who this woman was.  
"Mayella?" I questioned.  
"I was waiting you to say that." Mayella stated.  
"What are you doing here?" Jem asked.  
"I wanted to talk to Mr. Tailor, but he wasn't home, so I just talked with Mr. Finch instead." Mayella said, smiling.  
Mayella seemed different, she was much friendlier than before; it was almost jarring.  
Calpurnia went inside to prepare lunch, and we all soon followed.  
We all got out of our church clothes, and we put on our regular clothes, and Mayella was waiting inside the living room.  
"Thank you, ma'am." Mayella said to Calpurnia as she gave her tea.  
I sat down on the floor, while Sam pulled a chair up.  
"So... what is it you need, Mayella?" Sam asked.  
"I saw the trial, and I admired how passionate and caring you were." Mayella said, smiling.  
"Thank you…" Sam responded.  
"I wish I was as strong as you, Dill." Mayella said, smiling kindly.  
"It was hard, but what about you?" I asked. Mayella was physically abused by her father, and because of that, she never knew true kindness, at least not until he died.  
"I'm fine… It's my siblings that I more worried about." Mayella admitted.  
"They were abused as well?" Sam asked.  
"Not to the same extent that I was, but yes." Mayella answered.  
"So you want me to talk to them over the summer, and try to show them kindness, is that right?" Sam asked.  
"Yes…" Mayella answered.  
"I'll do it, no charge." Sam said, smiling.  
"Thank you." Mayella said, thankful.  
"Can I help?" I asked.  
"It would help to have someone who experienced a form of abuse talk to them." Mayella stated.  
"That's true…" Sam said, thinking about it.  
"Alright, but if they're rude to you let me know, okay?" Sam asked.  
"Yes sir." I said.  
"Good, now go and ask Jem and Scout if they are willing to help you with them." Sam ordered.  
I did as I was told, and they both agreed to help me help them, which made me happy to know that I had such good friends.


	26. The Ewell's Second Chance

"Ready, everyone!?" Sam called, as me, Scout, and Jem got dressed.  
"Ready!" I answered.  
"I'm all good, Samuel!" Jem answered.  
"I'm ready!" Scout answered.  
We all gathered round in the kitchen, and Samuel was already dressed and ready to go.  
"Good…" Sam looked at Scout, and gave her list of don'ts for her.  
"Scout, I know Burris is hard to deal with, but try not to kill him."  
"Sam, I know better than get in hissy with him." Scout said, monotone.  
"Just making sure." Sam stated.  
"Let's get going…" I said, heading towards the door.  
We all left the Finch household, and headed towards the Ewell's.

When we got to the Ewell's we saw how bad their house was in; its roof were made of tin cans, the wood was corroded to hell, and the only windows were just broken panels of wood. In other words, it looked like hell.  
Mayella opened up the door, and she came out with all of her siblings.  
"I would say, we're no worse for wear, but as you can see, we kind of are." Mayella commented.  
One of her siblings, I presumed it was Burris, then asked rather rudely, "Why do we have to work with them?!"  
"Because he's doing us a huge favor by doing this! We're not exactly the best living family here, Burris! In fact, I think we're all lucky to be alive!" Mayella answered, bluntly.  
Burris shrunk a little, and didn't say another word.  
"Sorry about that... Burris can be a pain in the ass sometimes." Mayella stated.  
"It's quite alright…" Sam looked at their house, and his expression was filled with worry. "You live here, Mayella?"  
"Yeah…" Mayella answered, sadly.  
"This won't do." Sam said, firmly. "Come on, we're taking you all to Dr. Reynolds!"  
The Ewell's were all shocked at his proclamation, but they all followed him anyway. They seem to have all improved dramatically on a psychological level on the way to Dr. Reynolds office; which was impressive.  
"Looks like they just needed to see kindness." I stated.  
"It's actually kind of heartwarming to see them happy." Scout said, smiling.  
"I don't think Bob hurt them as much as Mayella." Jem said, looking on sympathetically.  
"That's about right, Jem." Mayella said, surprising him.  
"Mayella! I didn't meant to…" Jem began to say, but Mayella interrupted him before he could finish: "Don't worry about it… I'm just glad that they're going to see a doctor."  
Sam was talking with Burris; it didn't look like they were having a pleasant.  
"Burris, I'm not giving up you, so you can just stop saying that!" Sam yelled, stopping in his tracks.  
"Ain't no one ever help us before, I bet you're taking us to get us shot!" Burris accused.  
"Sam, wouldn't do that!" I yelled, running up.  
"That's right!" Scout yelled, following me.  
"Samuel helped Dill when he needed it, and he's going to help you out in any way he can, Burris!" Jem yelled, trying to make things clear.  
"Shut up, chicken shits!" Burris yelled.  
Mayella went up and slapped him, which surprised all of us.  
"Burris, you apologize to the right now!" She commanded.  
"I ain't gonna listen to you, you damn whore!" Burris yelled.  
"Burris! You're not your father, so trying to be like him dammit!" Sam yelled, furious.  
Burris spoke to say something, but Sam didn't even let a sound come out of him.  
"Listen, we're going to take you down to the Dr. Reynolds, then I'm going to contact the pastor back at my hometown, the foster home that my Dad and I fund-raised is still standing."  
"You mean, that you want us to move to Texas?" Mayella asked, softly.  
"Yeah, sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I'm a lawyer not a psychologist, please understand that I can't take care of all you, at least not on my own…" Sam answered.  
"I understand…" Mayella said, calmly.  
"Can you tell us your plans on the way?" Burris asked, almost pleading. Burris had a completely different tone; he no longer sounded like a tough guy, but a kid who needed help.  
"Yeah…" Sam answered, and we all continued walking.  
"The Pastor in my hometown is a kind man, not only can he teach all of you better than any of the school teachers here, but he can get you job as well, Mayella, he's not a racist, he believes in giving kids a future."  
"So, you're going to have us go live with him, and he can handle all of us?" Mayella asked.  
"About seven of Burris." Sam answered.  
"Hey!" Burris yelled, annoyed.  
We all laughed at this crack, much to his dismay. Burris just shrunk back, and grumbled more on the way, but he seemed to have lightened up along the way.  
Feeling it was safe, I decided to talk with him. "Hey." I said.  
"You're the kid who was neglected by his folks, right?" Burris asked.  
"Yeah…" I answered.  
"Look, about what I said back there, I didn't mean any of it." Burris said, apologetically.  
I wasn't ready to forgive him, and I made that pretty clear with my expression.  
"Don't criticize someone if you don't understand them." I said, sternly.  
"Look, my life hasn't exactly been the greatest either! I don't have an education, good hygiene, or any friends! You are at least lucky enough to have those!" Burris said, furious.  
"I only saw them in the summer, Burris! You had some siblings to keep you company! Me, I had no one for 9 straight months!" I rebutted.  
"My Dad didn't just ignore me, he called me names like shithead, useless, ugly, and that I didn't deserve to be a part of the family!" Burris rebutted.  
I took a second to think, and I responded calmly: "Look, we both had shitty lives, but we at least had someone that we could consider a silver lining in our lives. For me, it's Scout and Jem. And for you, it's your siblings, don't pretend that you didn't talk or play with them. You and I are alike in many ways, but we are also different in many ways as well. So, let's stop this arguing and try to start over from scratch with our lives…"  
Burris seemed to have taken all of what I have said, and responded: "You already started, so I guess it won't hurt for me to start over again…"  
"Good, and by the way, you're forgiven." I said, as I caught up with the others.  
Burris was still lagging behind, but he seemed to have a different air about him now.  
"That was nice of you, Dill." Jem said, smiling.  
"You really are a special one, Dill." Scout said, smiling.  
I just smiled, and continued walking.

Eventually, we made it to Dr. Reynolds, and he managed to check them out, and gave a few some medicine.  
Samuel went to call the foster home in his hometown.  
"Hey, it's me, Samuel Tailor…" Sam said, on the phone.  
"Look, I know this is weird to ask, but do you still accept new children at the foster home?"  
"You do?! Great, I need you to take in around eight or nine kids."  
"I'm planning on giving them their train tickets today, so can you wait at the station?" Sam asked.  
"Thanks… It was nice talking to you to." Sam hang up, and went to Mayella.  
"So, how did it go?" She asked.  
"Great…" Sam answered, smiling.  
"So, when do we leave?" Mayella asked.  
"The train to Athens, Texas leaves at around 4:00, and it's 3:00 now, if we went to Maycomb Junction now, it would be 3:45, so now." Sam answered.  
"Alright. Come on, everyone!" Mayella called.

When we got to the station, Sam bought all of their tickets, and he gave them all to Mayella.  
"Thank you for everything, Sam." Mayella said.  
"It's not a problem, Mayella…" Sam stated.  
"I believe in second chances, and you and your siblings need to get away from here in order to get one."  
"Thank you, Sam…" Mayella hugged Sam, and he just went along with it.  
"You're not falling in love with me are you?" Sam joked.  
"Of course not!" She retorted.  
The train arrived, and everyone was about to leave. Scout, Jem, and I had been quiet this whole time, and we were just tagging along at this point.  
Before they all left, Burris came up to me, and gave his hand out.  
"Thank you, Dill…" Burris said, as I shook his hand.  
"For what?" I asked.  
"For understanding me." Burris answered.  
I smiled, and told him: "Have fun in Texas."  
"Will do." Burris said, as he got on board.  
They all waved goodbye as the train took off, and we all just stood and smiled as the Ewell's began to start all over again with their lives.


	27. A Fellow Needs a Girl

A few weeks have went by since Mayella and her siblings left town, and they had been sending letters to Sam describing their new life; Mayella was now studying so she could enter a college, and she had found the one she wanted to go to, but since she never had a proper education she has to work harder in order to get accepted.

Burris was now taking his education seriously, and he seemed to be happy to be living a different life from back here.

Sam had recently got a letter describing Mayella's college. I had asked him to read it out loud, and he obliged.

" _It's a darn nice campus with ivy on the walls, friendly maples outside the lecture hall, there is a new gymnasium, a chapel with a dome, the coeds are cute as hell, but I wish they didn't have a snappy line, and as far as I can tell, the fellers here are just darn nice. I think I'm going to like it fine here. Thank you for giving us this chance, Samuel._

 _Mayella Ewell."_

"She seems to be having a _darn_ good time." I stated.

"Yeah…" Sam responded,

While I was happy for Mayella, Burris, and their siblings; I was getting worried about Sam's current status with a girl. I know it's odd, but he was a fine looking guy, and he said that "he thought he knew the game that along came a dame," but he never actually mention having a girl back home.

"Hey Sam, don't you have girl back home?" I asked, curious.

"Did, but it didn't work out, we were young, and I realized that she wasn't my kind of girl." Sam answered.

"What was her name?" I asked.

"I think it was Jenny." Sam answered.

"What did she look like?" I asked.

"She had brown hair, and hazel colored eyes, she was real pretty, and we were serious for a while, but we both realized that we just weren't meant to be." Sam answered, while mentioning they broke it off with mutual understanding.

"Can you go into detail?" I asked.

"I was about to go to law school, and she told me that she didn't want me want me to wait for her, and I told her that I'm probably not going to wait for you, and we both agreed to just stay friends." Sam answered.

"I'm sorry…" I said.

"No need to be, last time I checked she was married to Doctor in a small town, and she invited me their wedding as an old friend." Sam stated smiling.

"What was the groom like?" I asked.

"I think his name was Joseph, and he was a real nice guy, who really liked helping people get better. I told him that I like seeing people living a happy life, and I told him that I was lawyer who wanted to help kids, and he said that was very honorable of me." Sam answered.

"How did you feel during the wedding?" I asked.  
"Happy but awkward. Happy because, I was glad she found the right guy for hey, but awkward because, I hadn't seen her in over four years." Sam answered, smiling.

"Did you ever meet anyone else?" I asked.

"Nope… Couldn't find the right girl for me…" Sam answered.

"Oh…" Sam didn't seem to be distraught with not having a girl, but he definitely needed one.

"How are things going with Scout?" Sam asked.

"It's going good, we're taking at our own pace. I think she is the only girl for me, but I don't know if she feels the same." I answered.

"What do you mean you don't know if she feels the same? She is the only girl for you, and you're the only guy for her, and there is nothing more to say." Sam said, serious.

"Yeah, but…" I was about to make an excuse, but he didn't want me to hear my excuses.

"No buts! You go take her out for a walk around the town, and have both of yourselves a hell of a good time!" Sam ordered.

"Are you telling me to go in a date with her?" I asked, surprised that he just said that.

"Yes I did…" Sam said, realizing that he made himself look like a fool.

"I'm going to go ask her now" I wanted to escape this conversation, so I retreated to Scout's room.

Scout knew I was coming, because she heard my footsteps, and she opened the door.

"What's up, Dill?" She asked.

"I was actually thinking of taking a walk around the town." I answered.

"Alright, then let's go." She said, walking out of her room, and left me wondering how that happened so quickly.

Scout and I were walking around the town, and she seemed to be enjoying herself, but I wanted to know for sure if I was the right guy for her.

"Hey Scout, have you ever wondered if I am the right guy for you?" I asked.

"Yeah…" She answered.

"And what did you start thinking?" I asked.

"At first I was thinking that, maybe I'm not the love of your life, that maybe you won't stay, and that maybe we were just out for laughs, but then I started having a hunch that this was the real McCoy, and all of the things we told each other were true." Scout answered.  
"What type do you go for?" I asked.

"I never go for the Romeo type, I prefer a boy like you, Dill, you're fun, smart, sweet, and I always did like it when you thought up of a scenario." Scout answered.

I sighed a breath of relief. _"I am the right boy for her, thank goodness!"_ I thought, and I start telling her my type: "I don't crazy for a dewy-eyed Juliet, and I would never drool for them. I prefer a girl like you Scout, your tomboy personality is the right type for me, but I still wouldn't drool over you because that's just weird."

"Dill, I overheard the conversation you had with Sam, and I just want you to know that you're the right boy for me, Dill, okay?" Scout asked.

"I got you, Scout." I answered, winking at her.

"Flirt…" She called me.

"Looks like I got it back…" I stated.

"Yeah… Speaking of getting back, we should get home, it's gettin' late." Scout remarked.

"Alright." I said. I grabbed her hand, and we both headed home.

When we got back, we heard Atticus and Sam having a conversation about something.

"What are they talking about?" I asked.

"I don't know." Scout answered.

"Let's listen in…" I said, grinning slyly.

Scout shook her head, and we both began to listen.

Atticus and Sam were both sitting down in their chairs, and Atticus was the first one to speak: "So, Dill asked you about your romantic life?"  
"Yeah. Dill was worried that he wasn't the right person for Scout, so I had him go on a date with her, it was just a walk around the town." Sam answered.

We were both blushing about the fact that they were talking about us.

"Samuel, was there ever a girl that you loved so much that you would throw your life for her?" Atticus asked.

"No, but I can imagine what it would feel like to find that one girl, and how it would feel to be unable to protect them." Sam answered.

"That's how it was for me." Atticus said, adjusting his glasses.

"I see… I'm sorry about your wife. Do you have a picture of her?" Sam asked.

"Yeah I do." Atticus gave a picture to Sam, and he studied the picture closely.

"She's real pretty, Atticus… Jem looks a lot like her, but Scout's got her eyes and hair." Sam stated, and he gave the picture back to Atticus.

"A fellow needs a girl, Sam, especially at the end of weary day. Someone to sit by his side and listen to him talk and agree with the things he'll say." Atticus stated.

"I think a fellow who has a girl that he will hold in his arms when the rest of world goes wrong, to hold in his arms and know that she believes that her fellow is wise and strong." Sam stated.

"If a fellow doesn't have a girl, then who is going to congratulate them when things go right, and his job's well done, who will he share the prize with?" Atticus asked.

"No one... And where's the fun of a job well done, or a prize you've won if no one cares?" Sam answered with a question.

"What else does a fellow need, Sam?" Atticus asked.

"A home…" Sam answered.

"His own kind of home, but in order to make that dream come true, a fellow will need a girl…" Atticus stated.

"His own kind of girl…" Sam said, finishing statement

"She was the only kind of girl for me, Sam. And Scout is the only girl for Dill. You and Jem don't have anyone yet…" Atticus stated.

"Jem's a handsome bloke, Atticus, he'll find somebody who is right for him, eventually. As for me though, I've searched, but I still haven't found her, and I can tell you now that she isn't here." Sam stated.

"You'll find someone, eventually." Atticus said, smiling.

"I hope so. I actually want to have kids." Sam stated.

"Speaking of kids… Dill, Scout, you can stop hiding!" Atticus called, nonchalantly.

We both got up, and I asked him, "How did you know we were listening?"

"We saw you both walk in the yard." Atticus answered. "It's late, you should get some sleep."

Sam was tired, so he decided to head on back to Aunt Rachel's, while we headed to our rooms with their conversation still implanted in our heads.


	28. Mom

"What's up, Scout?" I asked, on an early August morning.  
"I want to ask, Atticus about my mother, but I'm kind of afraid to." Scout answered, looking down.  
"I'll go with you if you want, Scout." I offered.  
Scout had talked with Jem about their mother, as he was six when she passed, and Scout was only two, so she had no recollection of her whatsoever.  
"Thank you, Dill, having you there will makes things easier." Scout said, and she grabbed my hand.  
"Just go and ask him, you don't have to be worried about a thing." I said, trying to comfort her.  
"Atticus…" Scout called.  
"What is it, Scout?" Atticus asked.  
"This is a bit hard for me to ask, but…" Scout looked back at me, and I gesture to go ahead.  
"You can ask me anything, Scout, I'll give you an honest answer." Atticus said, gently.  
"Can you tell me about Mom?" Scout asked.  
Atticus looked surprised at first, but he immediately shifted to a joyful look. Scout didn't notice.  
"I'm sorry, forget I asked!" Scout said, panicking.  
"Scout… take a seat." Atticus calmly told her.  
"Sir, do you mind if I stay and listen? I asked.  
Atticus nodded his head, and I sat down right next to Scout.  
Atticus went and got the picture of his wife, and he showed it to us.  
"This is her?" Scout asked.  
"She's real pretty, Atticus…" I complimented, as I looked at the photo.  
Scout's Mom had light brown hair and eyes; Scout and Jem had the same features, but Jem's were a bit more distinct than Scout's.  
I handed the photo back to Atticus, and I asked, "What was her name?"  
"Claire Jean Louise Finch." Atticus answered.  
"Jean Louise was her middle name?" Scout asked, looking surprised.  
"That's right…" Atticus answered, smiling.  
"She has a real pretty name as well." I said, taking a liking to the name, Claire.  
"What was she like?" Scout asked.  
"Your mother was the nicest person I have ever met, she was kind, gentle, smart, beautiful, but she was also really stubborn, and would often do things other woman wouldn't do, kind of like you, Scout." Atticus answered, keeping his smile.  
"She was like me?" Scout asked.  
"Down to not liking to wear dresses, she only wore them when she felt it was necessary." Atticus answered.  
"How did she act when she had Jem?" Scout asked.  
"She was ecstatic to have a child, she really loved Jem, and he loved her."  
"Did he ever tell you what they did together?" Atticus asked.  
"No, I knew he missed her dearly, so I didn't bother asking because I didn't want to see him sad." Scout answered.  
Atticus went and grabbed a couple of photographs, and showed them to us. It showed a 3 year old Jem being read to by his mother; Jem looked adorable sucking his thumbs, and looking at his Mother like she was an angel. The other one showed a 4 year old Jem sleeping on his Mom's lap while she gently caressed his head; Jem was only an inch taller in this one, but he had more of a baby face then when he was three.  
"Who took these photos?" I asked.|  
"I took some, and Calpurnia took some." Atticus answered.  
Their Mom looked real happy, especially in the pictures that had Jem.  
"Are there any pictures of me with her?" Scout asked.  
"Just this one." Atticus answered as he got up, and grabbed the photo that he was referring to. "This was just a year after you were born." The pictured showed Scout being fed by her Mother, and she looked real happy; you could just tell by looking at these pictures that she loved her children unconditionally, it was kind of heartwarming but heartbreaking at the same time.  
"I wished I remembered her, Atticus." Scout said, tearing up.  
I place my hand on her shoulder, and Atticus just said, "I know…"  
"Dill, can you get Jem? There is something I want to show to all of you, and that includes you."  
I did what he told, and I explained everything to Jem, and he listened right away.  
"Before Claire died, she left her final words in this letter, I have already read what she said to me." Atticus explained.  
"What did she say?" Jem asked.  
"She told me to take care of you two, to keep on living, and that she loved me very much." Atticus answered.  
"I want you to read what she said, out loud… Who wants to go first?" Atticus asked.  
"You go first, Jem, I want you to read what she said to you first." Scout said, placing her hand on his back.  
Jem nodded, and he grabbed the letter from Atticus' hand, and he began to read it out loud.

" _Jem… I know it will be hard for you to accept my passing, but I just want you to know that I will still be with you in your heart. When I'm gone, I want you to look after your sister, I get the feeling she is going to be a tomboy, just like me. Jem, I want you to promise me that you'll be there for Scout, and that you'll tell her about me a little, it's not going easy for her, so please, do what you can to keep her innocence intact, and you grow up to be your own man, you can pursue whatever goal you want to pursue, as long as you're happy, then I'll have no regrets. I wish I could've watched you and Scout grow up together, get married, and that I would meet my grandkids, but it wasn't meant to be.  
_ _Goodbye, my little Jeremy.  
_ _Remember that Mommy will always love you."  
_

Jem started crying, and he started saying, "I'm sorry, Mom... I couldn't keep her innocence safe, I guess that means I failed as brother and as a son…"  
"I don't think so, Jem! You kept her promises without even knowing them, and I still have my innocence intact, you may have your faults, but you're still my brother!"  
Scout said, hugging her brother.  
Jem stopped crying, and he gave a small smile. "Thank you, Scout… It's your turn, now…"  
Scout took her letter, and she began to read it out loud.

" _Scout… I know that you won't know a lot about me, but even if you are never to know who I was, just know that I will still love you all the same. It's going to be hard for you without a mother, but Calpurnia will be a good figure for you, she can be a bit hard, but she is a real sweet person once you get to know her. Scout, I get the feeling that you're going to be tomboy, and that you'll be wild and free, if this is the case, then I'm just going to say that don't let the other woman drag you down to their level, they're from the previous generation, you're from the other generation, and you should be able to decide what you want to do, and what you want to wear, don't let those old bags tell you otherwise. I wish I could see the person that would be your husband (I'll be damned if it's the Jacobs kid.), don't give him too much of a hard time, but don't let him off easy either, or he probably won't stick around. Don't give Atticus and Jem too much of a hard time either, and one other thing before I go. Jean, whether you know me or not, just know that you'll always be my little girl.  
_ _I love you, Jean  
_ _I wish you knew me, as well as Jem did._

Scout was crying, but she was also smiling. "Thank you, Mom… I'll do my best."  
I went to comfort her, but Atticus wanted me to see him.  
"What is it?" I asked.  
"You have my blessing…" Atticus whispered.  
I blushed, but I chose to let it slide and I went right next to Scout.  
"Scout, I just want you to know that I'm here whenever you need me."  
"Thank you, Dill…" Scout said, wiping away her tears.  
I take her to her room, and she begins to lie down, and I lie down right next to her.  
"Scout, if you were to have a son what would you name him?" I asked.  
Scout took a moment to think about, and she answered: "Arthur, Rick, or Jeremy."  
"So you would name him after Boo Radley, my father, or your brother, huh? I like the name, Shaun, personally. But if you want to name him that, then I'll let you." I said, smiling.  
"What if it's girl? What would you name her?" Scout asked.  
"I think Claire is a real pretty name." I answered.  
"So after my mother… I like that name…" Scout said, drifting off to sleep.  
Scout was out like a light, so I kissed her forehead, and I tell her: "Good night, Scout."


	29. You've Got To Be Carefully Taught

Summer was over, and school had started once again. Scout and I were in the 5th grade, while Jem was in 9th grade, but that really didn't matter to us, we still saw ourselves as equals, and nothing was going to change that.  
Sam was still living at my Aunt's, but he always came by to see us every day, but this time he was going to see us off to school.  
"When are they going to allow a girl to wear pants to school, and not just for gym?" Scout asked, openly disgusted with her uniform.  
"I'd say about 30 more years." Sam answered.  
"I'll be married at that point." Scout responded.  
"So will Dill…" Jem added, getting accustomed to his uniform.  
"You'll probably be married before us, Jem." I stated, smiling.  
"I don't know about that…" Jem responded, in an unconvinced tone.  
"You three better get to school, or you'll be late." Atticus said, reading his newspaper.  
"Alright, see you later, Atticus." Jem said, as he walked out the door, and Scout and I soon followed.  
"So Jem, do you have a girl?" I asked, curious.  
"Nope." Jem answered.  
"I guess some people aren't as lucky Scout and I." I said, smiling.  
"Most people aren't as lucky as you two." Jem retorted.  
Scout and I both laughed, and we continued our trek to school.

When we got to the school, Jem ran to his homeroom, and Scout and I headed to our homeroom.  
"Ah, and you two are?" The teacher asked.  
"Dill Harris." I answered.  
"Jean Louise Finch, but I go by Scout…" Scout answered.  
"Pleasure to meet you, you two just take a seat right there." He pointed at the two empty desk, and we both took our seats.  
"Hey, is your daddy still a nigger-lover?" Cecil provoked.  
"Leave her alone, Cecil." I said, firmly.  
"What are you going to do about, shorty?" Cecil said, provoked me.  
"Keep provoking her, and you'll find out…" I threatened.  
"Dill, he's not worth it…" My friend, Chuck, saw everything, and he came up to me, so we could both calm down.  
I took a seat, and I just ignored Cecil from then on; he gave up trying to provoke us, and he took his seat. The teacher seemed to be interested in our reactions, and seemed to be going by his own rules.  
"Thanks Chuck." I said, smiling.  
"No problem, Dill…" Chuck said, smiling back.  
"You did well controlling yourself, Scout." I said, looking at her.  
"It wasn't easy…" She grumbled.  
"Alright, take a seat everyone!" The teacher shouted.  
"Now, I'm supposed to be going by the school's system, but I think I want to talk about our own opinions on Negro's, I have a few friends who are not white, and they are human just as much as anyone else, so why so we still treat them like dirt, Cecil?" The teacher was looking at Cecil, it seemed that this was his idea of a punishment.  
"Because they deserve it." Cecil answered.  
"Is that your opinion or your folks?" The teacher asked.  
Cecil just growled, and he didn't answer him anymore.  
"Alright, what's your opinion on Negroes?" He asked.  
"I agree with that they are human, and that they don't deserve the pain we give them." I answered.  
"Good…" The teacher responded. "What about you, Scout?"  
"Same as Dill's answer." Scout answered.  
"Alright, those who feel that Negroes deserve the crap they get, stand on this side, and those who feel that they don't, stand on the other side." The teacher ordered.  
We all got up, and Scout, Chuck, Walter, and I stand on the side who thought they didn't deserve it; others came up and joined our side of the area, including the teacher. While, the people who thought the opposite of us, stood at the other end of the class, Cecil was included in this group.  
"Now, people who think that they do deserve it... were you born that way, or were you made that way?" The teacher asked.  
"It just the way we are." One kid answered.  
"So you're saying that you're born that way, then why do these people disagree with you?" The teacher asked.  
"Because you're not born to be racist, you're made that way!" I shouted, so everyone could hear me.  
"That's right, Dill… It seems to me that some parents feel the need to teach their kids to hate and fear the same people they hate, people who are of a different shade, or who's eyes are oddly made, and right before you turn six, seven, or eight… I just want to say to the ones who think that Negroes deserve what they get, just throw what your parents taught you about them, and make up your own opinion of them, that is you assignment for the day. I'll be taking papers by the end of the day…" The teacher sat down at his desk, and one by one, he got papers from all of the students, including Cecil's. Scout thought he was odd, but in a good way, and I was thinking that it was about time we got a teacher with sense.

It was now after school, and we began to walk home from school, and then I noticed that he had seemed unconditionally happy.  
"What's got you in a good mood?" I asked.  
"I'm on the football team now." Jem answered, smiling.  
"What position are you?" I asked.  
"Wide receiver, they specialize in passing and catching." Jem answered.  
"That's cool." I said, smiling.  
"Is your arm going to be okay, Jem?" Scout asked, concerned.  
Jem's left arm was a little bit shorter than his right, this is because when Bob Ewell broke it on that night, the positioning of his hand never really got back into place; he could still use both arms and hands, but too much pressure would cause a lot of pain to him.  
"I should be fine, as I long I pay attention." Jem answered, trying to reassure his sister.  
"Just be careful…" Scout said, worried.  
"Don't worry, I will be." Jem said, smiling.  
"So, how was your day?" Jem asked.  
"It was interesting." I answered.  
We told him about the teacher, and what he had the class do; Jem seemed surprised that someone like that existed.  
"This crazy world is just will with all kinds of people." Jem stated.  
"You're growing up, Jem, and not just in education, but as a person." I stated.  
"You and Scout are too." Jem stated.  
"It's kind of like we lost our innocence, but we soon found it again." Scout stated.  
"Kind of like saving a mockingbird, you feel so bad for the creature's broken wing that you do your damndest to heal it, and when you see it fly away from your hands, it just makes you smile to see that innocent creature fly and sing to its heart's content." I stated.  
"That's good analogy, Dill." Jem complemented.  
"We may know a lot about this world's horrors, probably more than we should, but we're still kids, and we should enjoy our time as kids, while we still can…" Scout said, with the realization that Jem will graduate in three more years.  
"Jem… when you go off to college, can you promise that you'll visit us?" I asked, wanting him to come by and visit when he inevitably graduates.  
Jem caressed my head, and responded: "Of course I will… After all, both of you are family, and I could never replace you guys."  
Scout and I smiled at him, and we continued our trek home, the home that I belonged to.


	30. Calm

School was interesting with this teacher, he would often bring in philosophy in his lessons, and he would also try to make his students make their own opinions; he was able to make a few racism supporters turn over a new leaf, which was not an easy task at the time, and that impressed a lot of people in town, and you know what's even stranger, he told us to keep him anonymous if we decide to write our life story, and I decided to tell Sam about him, and he just stood there thinking.  
"Interesting… How many has he converted?"  
"Only a few… Cecil is still supporting racism, and he still gives us hell." I answered.  
"And what do you and Scout do?" Sam asked, firmly.  
"We try to ignore him and walk away when we can." I answered.  
Although it had become a habit to just walk away from him, it was still hard to do. Especially since Scout and I wanted to kick his ass, but we both promised Atticus that  
we wouldn't fight anyone unless we had to, and we don't have to fight Cecil, but that didn't make any easier.  
"Good. People like him aren't worth lifting a finger to." Sam stated.  
"What do you mean?" I asked.  
"I mean, that he isn't worth the trouble. All that's going to do is create more tension, and that's the last thing we need." Sam answered.  
"You sound like you're speaking from experience." I stated.  
"I am… But when I entered high school, my temper dwindled, and I only fought when it was necessary. I was far from a pacifist." Sam responded.  
"Yeah… I say you're more of a realist."  
"Can't argue with that." Sam stated.  
"So... what should I do if Cecil tries to provoke us again?" I asked.  
"I am going to assume that walking away isn't working now, and if it isn't, then just turn around and say, "Drop dead, turn blue," and just keep walking." Sam answered, honestly.  
"What if he attacks us?" I asked.  
"Then you can fight him, but only if he makes the first move." Sam answered.  
"Alright… I'll keep that in mind." I answered.  
"Try not to get into too many fights, Dill. It will make the future a whole lot brighter for you and Scout." Sam advised.  
"Yes sir, and good night."

The next day after school, Cecil confronted us as we were about to leave the school grounds.  
"Hey, nigger-lovers." Cecil provoked.  
Scout was about to pummel, but I grab her arm and I tell her that it's not worth it, and we kept on walking.  
"What's the matter, shorty? Is her Daddy turning you into a yellow bellied chicken?"  
I stopped, and I turned around. We were now looking at each other's eyes, Cecil's were smug as hell, while mine were filled with contempt.  
"Did I scratch a nerve, shorty?" Cecil kept provoking me.  
I decided to take Sam's advice, and I responded: "You know what, Cecil…? You can just drop dead and turn blue for all I care."  
I turned around and grabbed Scout's hand, and we continued walking.  
I could hear Cecil about to charge us; so I let go of Scout's hand so that she wouldn't get hurt, and we both dodged out of the way.  
"Are you gonna fight me, or just dodge all day?!" Cecil asked, furious.  
"You have to hit me first!" I answered, smirking.  
"You little!" Cecil stood up, and tried to charge us again, but I just let him run past me like an angry bull.  
"Why aren't you fighting, you coward!?"  
"You're not worth the energy." I answered, cocky.  
"What?!"  
"You heard him." Scout said, enjoying the show.  
"Bitch, you shut up!" Cecil shouted.  
"Don't call her that!" I yelled.  
"Then fight me!" Cecil yelled.  
I was real angry, and I wanted to knock this guy on flat on his ass, but I took a second to think, and I responded: "You're not worth the energy…"  
Cecil didn't charge me this time, and I took this chance to get Scout pass the main gate, where Jem was waiting.  
"Jem, we have a Cecil chasing us, can you do us a favor?" Scout asked, quickly.  
Sure enough, Cecil was about as mad as a bull. Jem saw this and we all dodged out of the way and he fell on the ground; Jem took this chance to hold him down so that he wouldn't try to hurt us.  
"Let go of me!" Cecil commanded.  
"Calm down first…" Jem said, holding him.  
"Hell no! He told me to drop dead!" Cecil responded.  
"With how much you been provoking them, I don't blame them for saying that to you." Jem stated, coldly.  
"Your father is destroying society by being a nigger-lover!" Cecil stated, trying to break free of Jem's hold.  
"No! It's people like you that are destroying society!" I rebutted.  
"Can't you make your own opinion, Cecil?!" Scout asked, furious.  
"I reckon I can!" Cecil answered.  
"Then think about it from our perspective!" Jem suggested, still holding him down.  
Cecil suddenly calmed down, and Jem let him go, and we took this chance to get away from him.

When we got back home, we all decided to tell Atticus and Sam what happened, and they seemed to be thankful that we used our heads.  
"I'm proud of you, Dill. You used your brain, instead of your fists." Sam stated.  
"He wasn't even worth the trouble, so I just dodged him like it was bull fight." I responded.  
"It was actually kind of fun to watch." Scout remarked.  
"I'll just take your word for it." Sam responded.  
"He was really angry at Dill for not fighting back." Jem stated.  
"Maybe so, but he did the right thing in not letting him get to him." Atticus responded.  
"About that… I kind of lost my cool when he called Scout a "bitch…" I admitted.  
"That just shows your dedication to her…" Atticus said, smiling.  
"If I had a girl, I would get angry at people who talked bad about her, even if it was true to an extent, I would still defend her." Jem admitted.  
"Why don't you have a girlfriend again?" I asked.  
"Because I haven't found the right person for me yet." Jem answered.  
"Right…" I responded.  
"Anyway, it was actually kind of surprising to see you that willing to protect me. Makes me wish you would just propose to me now." Scout joked.  
"Scout, I want to wait till after we graduate." I retorted.  
"You could just give her a promise ring…" Jem stated.  
"I was joking, Jem!" Scout said, annoyed.  
"I know…" Jem stated, smiling.  
We both laughed, Sam just rolled his eyes, and Atticus picked up his newspaper, while Scout just crossed her arms.  
"You done now…? Good." Scout said, impatiently.  
"Sorry…" I said, trying to breathe.  
"Thanks for sticking up for me, Dill…" Scout said, smiling.  
I looked at Scout, and I kissed her on the cheek.  
"Anytime."


	31. The Unbroken Promise

A month of school went by, and it was now October. I had decided to take Scout to the Maycomb Museum Art Gallery. I wasn't really impressed; it was mostly just statue of angels and portraits of kings. I did find one that I liked, and when Scout saw that I was liking this particular painting, she looked at me like I was nut.  
"What?" I asked.  
"Do you seriously like this one?" She asked.  
"Yes." I answered.  
"Dill, we've been passing statue of angels and portrait of kings, and the one that you like is a painting of everyday things."  
"Like you're impressed with statues and portraits." I knew that Scout wasn't interested with those pieces of art, but she was right in questioning my tastes.  
"Fair point… So, what's so special about this one?" Scout asked, curious.  
I took a step back, and I answered, "You're missing the most important thing, Scout."  
Scout took a closer look at the painting, and responded: "I don't see how you find this painting beautiful, Dill."  
I then grab her shoulders, and I have her look at from a different perspective. "What is this painting of?" I asked.  
"It's a painting of apples." Scout answered, confused.  
"That's right, and do you see why it's beautiful?" I asked.  
"No…" Scout answered, still confused.  
"Things aren't beautiful all on their own, Scout. It all comes down to reflection. Try taking making a connection with the painting, then you'll know what I mean."  
Scout took a good long look at the painting, and eventually made her own conclusion.  
"Okay… I like that shade of red right there, the spot where the apple is peeling… It's deep as an ocean, and lighter than air." Scout said, smiling.  
"It's simple, familiar, and full of feeling…" I added.  
"The color of those summer days we played together…"  
"The color of trying to make Boo Radley come out of his house." I said, smiling.  
"You bet." Scout said, looking at me.  
"The color of feeling that life is okay…"  
"Now I see why you like this painting… It isn't anything like an angel or a king, this kind of painting makes you appreciate the simple things in life." Scout stated.  
"That's right." I responded.  
"That is just like you, Dill…"  
I smiled, and I remembered that one thing I wanted to give her.  
"Hey Scout, can we go sit down for a bit?" I asked.  
"Sure…"  
We found a nearby bench, and I saw that no one was around, so I told her to close her eyes, and I got out the thing I wanted give her. "You can open them now." Scout opens her eyes, and saw that I was holding a ring for her.  
"Dill, what kind of ring is this? You told me that you weren't going to officially propose to me till after we graduate… So what's the occasion?" Scout asked, confused.  
"It's a promise ring…" I answered.  
"You mean, the kind of rings that you give to a girl when they want to be together?"  
"Yeah…" I answered, blushing.  
Scout giggled, and asked, "Is this a substitute for a engagement ring?"  
"You can think of it like that, but I mainly wanted to give it to you because, I wanted to promise that I will keep you safe from harm no matter what, and that I'll always be by your side." I answered honestly.  
Scout just looked at me, and responded: "God, you're such a cliche when you want to be, but thanks… I'll wear it till you get me an engagement ring."  
"Well, excuse me for trying to be romantic!" I joked.  
"Oh, lighten up before you get yourself heartburn." Scout retorted.  
We both laughed until we could barely breathe.  
I was about ready to leave, but Scout stopped me and said that she wanted to give me something.  
"Happy Birthday, Dill." Scout said, handing me a wrapped a gift.  
"My birthday is not until Monday, Scout." I tell her.  
"I wanted to give this to you early, since you gave me my gift early." Scout explained.  
"Alright…" I opened up my gift, and I found that it was the photo of my Dad and I, it was the same photo that Sam took back in January, and I was wondering what happened to it, as it wasn't at my Aunt Rachel's house.  
"I told Sam that I wanted to give this to you for your birthday, and he helped me wrapped it up." Scout explained.  
It was in a picture frame, and it showed me standing right next to my Dad, who was laying in bed. I would never forget those days that I spent with him. I wished we could've done more, but that short time that I got to spent with him was more than enough for me.  
I hugged Scout, and I tell her, "Thank you, Scout…"  
"No problem, Dill." She responded.  
"Ready to go?" Scout asked.  
"Ready… let's go." I responded.

I took her hand as we began to walk home. The sun was setting, and I could tell that we had a long day; I took her to the museum at around 5:00, and it was now turning into dusk.  
When we got home, Atticus and Jem noticed the ring and the picture frame, and they asked what those were about? We explained to them what they were, and they just simply smiled in response. It gave me a warm feeling, a feeling that told me I was home.  
It was soon 9:00, and I asked Scout if I could take her to her room.  
"Sure, but you have to wait outside while I change." Scout answered.  
"Alright."  
I took her to the room, and I waited outside of her room while she was changing. When she was done, she told me that I could come in, and then it occurred to me that, I still haven't told her that I had seen Boo Radley. So I go and change into my pajamas, and I grabbed Jem, he would want to hear this as well.  
So, I tell them that I saw Boo Radley last summer, and they looked at me in disbelief.  
"I ain't lyin. Sam was there too." I tell them.  
"What do you think, Jem?" Scout asked.  
"I think that he might be telling the truth, he wouldn't lie about this." Jem answered.  
"Thank you, Jem."  
"But why did he come out just to see you?" Jem asked.  
"He wanted to give me a couple of gifts." I answered.  
"Why?" Scout asked.  
"Because he gave you two gifts, but he felt bad for not giving me anything, the one who came up with the idea of literally trying to fish him out." I answered.  
"Oh, that's right… We did try to send him a letter with a fishing pole." Jem remarked.  
"Yeah… Anyway, he gave me a soap doll that looked a little bit liked me, and he gave me a handmade mockingbird woodcarving."  
"Yeah, that's him…" Jem confirmed.  
"Gee, I still feel bad for not giving him anything in return." Scout said, looking regretful.  
"Yeah…" Jem also looked like he regretted not being able to pay him back, but I knew something they didn't: "Guys, I asked him about that, and he told me that just seeing us happy is payment enough for him, so stop feeling sorry for yourself and smile, or he won't be happy."  
Jem and Scout smiled, and I was thinking that as long as we are happy, he'll be happy.  
"Well, I'm going to bed…" Jem said, as went to his room.  
"Night." Scout and I said.  
"Scout, is it alright if I stay with you tonight?" I asked.  
"Don't try anything, Dill!" Jem shouted, hearing me.  
"You know I wouldn't do anything to her! You'd both be out for my blood if I did anything like that!" I responded.  
"He's just messing with you, Dill." Scout said, smiling.  
"I know…" I responded.  
"I was actually thinking of spending the night in your room…" Scout stated.  
"Don't you try anything, Scout!" Jem joked.  
"Dammit Jem!" She responded. Jem and I could be heard laughing, and Atticus told us that we need to be in bed.  
"Sorry…" I tell him.  
Atticus just caressed my head, and he starts heading off to his room.  
"Scout, I think I'm going to sleep in my room tonight... I don't want Atticus getting the wrong idea…" I confessed.  
"It'll be fine, he knows you won't do anything…" Scout reassured.  
I didn't want to argue, so I asked Atticus of it was alright, and that I understood that I had to respect my boundaries.  
"I haven't stopped you before, have I?" Atticus asked.  
"No sir, but you're her father, so I would understand if you didn't want me to sleep with her." I answered.  
"I trust you…" Atticus said.  
I sighed, and I went to my room, only to find Scout already asleep in my bed, she seemed to having a nightmare, and I knew that she still wasn't fully over the trauma, so I lied down right next to her, and I held her hand. I stayed awake until she calmed down, and I wasn't ever going to leave her side. I stayed with her the rest of the night, and I was going to stay by her side till death do us part.


End file.
